


Perchance to Dream

by HeroR



Series: Luffy's Mind Series [6]
Category: One Piece
Genre: Drama, Dreams, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family, Gen, Lucid Dreaming, Sibling Bonding, Tragedy: Death of a Brother
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-10
Updated: 2013-03-10
Packaged: 2017-12-04 21:14:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 19
Words: 73,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/715172
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeroR/pseuds/HeroR
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Is this a dream? As long as one is happy, does it really matter if one is dreaming? Can't a dream be just as real as any reality? Especially when it returns something that was taken from you.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. On that Night

**Author's Note:**

> his story takes place post-time skip. This is actually very usual for me since I usually try to stick to canon and don't particular care of AUs. But, this story came into my head and it looked like Oda will finish the latest arc in either December or next year and I couldn't wait that long. I don't know how the Strawhats will come out, especially their new powers, since I'm still getting used to their time skip selves, so don't mind if there is any OOC moments.
> 
> The story itself is base on an old Batman: The Animated Series episode as well as two episodes from Justice League. I can't tell you which episodes they are without spoiling the plot, but any fan of these series should know the direction I will be going in. There will be, however, my own personal twist so it isn't a direct copy.
> 
> This story was also beta by zealousfreak27.
> 
> Spoiler: If you are up to speed on everything that happened after the Return to Sabaody Arc, there aren't too many spoilers.
> 
> With nothing else, please enjoy.

The anchor was dropped as the sun slowly dipped into the horizon. The day was exhausting as the Strawhats navigated their way through the New World. Between the weather trying to constantly kill them, random sea creatures the size of building trying to eat them, and even gravity itself at times working against them, they were beginning to understand why the first part of the Grand Line was called Paradise. It didn't help that their captain, being the reckless idiot that he was, chose the hardest route to sail.

When people warned them of the dangers of the New World, they've quickly found out that they weren't exaggerating. If they had dared to come to these seas two years ago, it would had been more than likely most of them would have been killed. It was indeed a place for only the strong and no one with half-ass ambition would survive long.

"Arggg, this day has been hell," Usopp moaned as he stretched his sore muscles.

"The New World has certainly lived up to its reputation," Robin said as she wiped the sweat from her brow.

"Are you certain it's safe to drop anchor here?" Usopp asked Nami, who was leaning on one of the railings. She looked even more exhausted than all of them. Then again, it was her navigating skills that had kept them from dying this week.

Nami gave a deep sigh. "We have no choice. We can't sail at night and the next island is weeks away."

"Weeks?" Usopp asked in disbelief.

"There are fewer islands in the New World than in Paradise and an even smaller percentage of those islands are populated," Nami explained as she rubbed her forehead. "Why do you think I told you to buy everything you needed on Fishman Island?"

Usopp shook his head in disbelief. It could be weeks or even months before they could go on another supply run. The thought unnerved him more than he cared to admit since he didn't want to be on any ship where the food supple ran low. With Luffy's appetite, they would all end up killing each other for the last scrap of meat.

Chopper stared into the now clear seas. He knew just by the couple of days they've been on these seas that looks were deceiving and anything could come out of the water to claim them. "It's so calm out there."

"I don't sense any change in the weather, but even these seas have tested me to my limits," Nami said. Nonetheless, she gave a silent thanks to the people at Weatheria for preparing her, although they could have warned her about the new log pose that was needed.

Luffy gave a wide smile as he looked into the water. "This sea won't take us. We came too far to die here." He then paused for a moment as he grabbed the scar on his chest. "I will become the Pirate King."

Zoro gave a loud yawn as he leaned against the ship's mast. "So, who has watch tonight?"

"Luffy," everyone answered without a beat.

Luffy pouted. "It's my turn already?"

"Bro, you've been skipping watch for about a week now; it's way passed your turn," Franky said with good humor.

Luffy looked like he was going to complain, as he usually did when he had watch, but he then smiled and nodded. "Alright then. If you want, I can take both shifts."

This earned several stares from the crew.

"Luffy, are you alright?" Usopp asked in disbelief. "You never took both shifts before. We could barely get you to just do your own." His eyes suddenly widened. "You're sick, aren't you!"

Luffy chuckled. "I'm not sick, but you know...things change." The look in Luffy's eyes suddenly shifted. They became pain and full of an unspoken sadness, but it disappeared as quickly as it came. "Besides, you guys had a busy day, so I don't mind taking both watches."

Sanji lit a cigarette. "Well, whatever. Just don't go into my kitchen during the night, you shitty bastard. I got some special fish from Fishman Island that I'm saving up and I don't want them to end up in your belly before I get a chance to cook them."

Luffy gave a loud laugh. "Okay, Sanji."

Sanji glared at his captain, promising a painful death if he didn't heed his warning.

"How about some music before we call it a night," Brook offered as he took out his old violin to play a couple of tunes. He chose to play his original instrument after he had learned that Luffy preferred it to his guitar. Apparently Luffy like the classic sounds more than the more modern music he played as the Soul King.

Within a few moments, the small ship was alive with music and the stress of the day faded away. Even Zoro enjoyed himself as he tapped his feet along with the beat.

"Hey Zoro, come and join us!" Luffy called as he danced along with Usopp and Chopper.

Zoro gave a short snort. "No thanks."

"Oh, come Zoro." Luffy pouted. "Don't be such a party pooper."

"The moss head probably can't dance," Sanji joked before an evil look crossed his face. "In fact, I'm willing to bet that he has two left feet."

"What was that?" Zoro growled.

"You heard me," Sanji continued mercilessly. "You probably have the coordination and grace of a drunk monkey."

Zoro quickly stood up. "Don't make me come over there and kick your ass, eyebrow!"

Sanji smiled. "What, are you that sensitive over your lack of dancing skills? I didn't know you cared, moss head."

Before long, the two were fighting as usual.

Nami just smiled and laughed. Unlike two years ago, those two's antics didn't bother her as much. In fact, she had missed it greatly and it really felt like she had returned home now. It felt good to be among her family again.

"It's good to have everyone back together like this," Robin said as she stood next to the navigator. "We didn't really have the chance to bond again at Fishman Island."

Nami sighed. "True, so much was happening at once, but even then it's like nothing has change. They're still the same goof balls."

Robin glanced at Luffy who was dancing with Chopper with chopsticks up his nose. "Not everything has remained the same."

Nami followed the older woman's glazed as she looked up at her captain. He acted like he had no care in the world, but he was fooling no one. Ever since they met up again at Sabaody, they all had seen the shadows that were now in his eyes. It was a look she understood and wished no one had to experience. It was the look of someone who went through extreme grief and sorrow. That same look was embedded into her own eyes when her adopted mother was murdered. Even though she had made peace with that day, especially after recent events, it still hurt.

None of them really knew the details of what happened to Luffy during the war, especially how the heck he got that giant scar on his chest. Given the size and position of the scar, that wound could have easily killed him. It was also scary given the fact that nothing really scarred Luffy before, not even when he was impaled with a hook or bitten by Arlong and Hordy. They only got the most basic information from the newspaper and Jimbi. Luffy himself didn't mention anything that has happened over the past two years except that he was trained by Rayleigh to use Haki. It was a subject that the entire crew had silently agreed to never bring up unless Luffy did it himself.

"Do you think he's really okay?" Nami asked Robin, never turning her eyes away from Luffy.

Robin didn't answer right away. "I think he's as okay as he's going to get. He's back among his crew and we can now help and support him. The best thing we can do is to make sure he never has to face such darkness alone again."

Nami looked at Robin before she smiled and nodded. Robin was right; Luffy was with his family again and they would be there for him when he needed them. It was the reason why they had willingly devoted two years of their lives to support him and his dream.

The rest of the night passed by quickly after that and after an hour of partying, the crew retired for the night. Luffy sat in the Observatory overlooking the sea with a blank expression.

It felt good to be back among his crew. Despite the fact those years has gone by, it was like they'd never left. Like the entire incident at Sabaody was all a terrible dream. Although he was eternally grateful to Rayleigh and Kuma for everything they had done, a part of him still wished the past two years were a dream. If it was, then what happened at Marineford had never come to pass and his brother hadn't really died in his arms.

Luffy shook his head as he attempted to rid himself of the image of his brother's dying body. It seemed even after two years the pain still hadn't fully gone away. It wasn't the same soul crushing, unbearable hot pain that overtook him when he woke on Amazon Lily, but it still hurt. He knew it would never truly go away, much like with Sabo, but he still wished he could forget. That things could go back to the way they were when they first reached the halfway point and they felt nothing could stop them from achieving their dreams.

The lessons of Sabaody, Impel Down, and Marineford, however, were forever burnt into his soul just as the 'X' shaped scar was burnt into his chest. It taught him just how small he really was in the big world and willpower alone meant nothing if you didn't have the strength to protect the ones you cared for. Even if it killed him, he would never allow anyone to sacrifice themselves for his sake ever again. He would make sure Ace's death wasn't in vain.

A noise suddenly caught his ear, knocking him out of his musings. He slowly stood up and walked towards the open window. He saw nothing since tonight was a moonless night and only the dim lamps on the deck gave any lighting. Luffy, however, was able to sense someone who wasn't his crew using his Haki. They had an intruder.

He briefly wondered if he should alert his crew right away about the invader, but quickly decided against it. They had all worked so hard today and none of them had much sleep since entering the New World. He didn't want to bother them if this was something he could handle on his own. The person didn't seem to be that strong.

With his mind made up, he jumped down from the one of the Observatory's windows and made his way across the deck. He opened his senses to find where their intruder was and Luffy was able to feel someone climbing the mast of their ship. Luffy looked up to see a shadowy figure climbing the main mast and was heading straight for their pirate flag.

Luffy felt his pride burn at the fact that someone would dare try to steal their pirate's mark. The Jolly Roger was a mark of honor and pride among pirates and Luffy wasn't going to let some random person steal it for whatever reason.

He quickly stretched his arms and reached for the highest point of the mast. Once that was done, he used his retracting powers to rocket him to the top. Whoever their little thief was, he was fast given how he made it to the flag within only a couple of minutes. Luffy, however, was able to intercept him before his hand could touch the pirate flag.

The intruder jumped back in both surprise and fear as Luffy looked over him. The Strawhat captain was surprise to see it was a young boy that couldn't be any more than a preteen. What was a child doing in the middle of the sea?

"Who're you?" Luffy asked, keeping his voice calm. He didn't want to scare the boy.

This failed miserably as the boy jumped down in fright and attempted to slide down the mast.

"Wait!" Luffy yelled as he followed shortly behind him. Given that Luffy was rubber, he was able to jump down the entire length of the mast without hurting himself, beating the boy down.

The boy saw this and responded by jumping off the mast and actually went over Luffy's head. Luffy was impressed that this boy was so nimble, especially given his age, but he was no match for his Haki senses. He saw the move coming and easily caught the boy in midair.

"Gotcha!" Luffy cheered. The boy squirmed helpless in his grasp.

"Luffy, what's going on!" Zoro demanded as he rushed on deck, his hand was already on the hilt of one of his swords.

Sanji wasn't too far behind as he looked over the scene. "What trouble have you caused now, shitty captain?"

Luffy held up the boy for his two crewmates to see. "This boy snuck onboard the ship."

"Who is he?" Zoro asked.

Before Luffy could answer that question, the boy was able to squirm enough in Luffy's grip to slide free and climb up his body. Before Luffy could react from the sudden move the boy touched his forehead. For a moment, there was nothing. Then, a hot pain shot through Luffy's head and right into his mind.

He didn't have a chance to scream before his body hit the deck and he knew nothing.

"Hey, is he alright?" a voice asked. It sounded familiar, but different all at the same time.

"Not sure. He did take a harder fall than usual," another person said. That voice was definitely familiar, but his foggy mind couldn't place the voice with the person. "Hey, come on Luffy, wake up."

Luffy mourned as he shifted in place. Why was it so hard to think?

"Looks like he coming to," the first voice said. "I swear Luffy, you need to stop scaring us like this. You're going to make us both grow gray hairs."

Luffy slowly opened his eyes to see someone with bright blue eyes staring down at him. He wore what looked like an old top hat with goggles and he had short blond hair the curled at the end. He blinked several times when he saw the person, knowing he had seen him somewhere before.

"What...what happened?" Luffy stuttered.

A heavy sighed followed the questioned. "You almost drowned. You have to be more careful. Remember, you can't swim."

Luffy turned towards the source of the other voice and his eyes widened in shock. The man had jet-black hair that reached his shoulders and a hat that had beads with a happy and sad face pictures attached to them. He also wore red beads around his neck and they hung lazily on his chest. It was the eyes and the freckles, however, that told him who he was looking at.

"Ac...ACE!" Luffy exclaimed in disbelief.


	2. Dream or Reality

Luffy stared at his supposedly dead brother in shock and disbelief. How the hell was this possible? Ace was dead. He saw him die before his very eyes on that battlefield. There was no way he could be standing here before him, unless...

"Am...am I dead?" Luffy asked. His throat for some reason felt tight.

"No, but you almost was," the other man said. There was now a note of worry in his voice. "You've allowed yourself to be careless again, Luffy."

Luffy titled his head to get a better look at him and it finally dawned on Luffy who the man was, but that was even more impossible. That person had died years ago and he was clearly a boy when he met his end. But the man that stood before him was clearly the same age as Ace.

He looked largely the same, except his face was longer, losing his previous baby fat. He also had a tone chest like Ace and wore a black and red coat with a white vest. On his back was a long boa that looked like it was made of some kind of wood. The hat, however, was completely the same except the goggles weren't broken and were clearly functional. Luffy felt ashamed that he hasn't recognized him sooner. Even if it had been over ten years, he shouldn't have forgotten about his brother.

"Sabo...?" Luffy whispered in disbelief. It was odd. He hadn't spoken that name out loud since he left to become a pirate.

"What's wrong with you?" Sabo asked as he put his hand on Luffy's shoulder. "You look like you've seen a ghost or something."

Luffy shook his head as the full impact of what he was seeing hit him. "You're...you're dead. Both you and Ace...you can't be here."

Ace and Sabo both looked at each other in surprise.

"Dead, what do you mean?" Ace asked as he rubbed his head. "As you can see, we're both clearly alive. You must have hit your head or something when you fall overboard."

Sabo frowned deeply. "Maybe he swallowed too much sea water. That can affect a person's mind."

"No, this isn't real!" Luffy exclaimed as he quickly sat up. Now that he could completely see his surroundings, he could clearly see that he was on a ship that wasn't the Thousand Sunny. It didn't appear to be as big as the Sunny, but it was bigger than his first ship, Going Merry. He also saw several people who weren't his crew surrounding him worriedly.

"What's wrong with him, captain?" one of them asked Sabo.

Sabo shook his head. "Not sure. But we better get him into the infirmary."

"What are you talking about!" Luffy demanded, trying to hide his panic. "Where's my crew? Where's Sunny?"

"Luffy," Ace said in a gentle voice as he approached his little brother. "This is our crew and I don't know what this Sunny is."

Luffy shook his head. "This isn't my crew! Where's Zoro, Nami, Usopp, Sanji, Chopper, Robin, Franky, and Brook! Where's my crew!"

Ace and Sabo looked at each other in even deeper concern.

"Zoro, he's means Roronoa Zoro?" one of the crewmembers asked among themselves. "The greatest swordsman in the world?"

Luffy looked at him in distress and confusion. "Zoro...Zoro isn't the greatest swordsman. I mean, he's going to be, but Mihawk has that title until Zoro finally beats him."

"Captain, where have you been?" one of the people asked with a light chuckle. "Roronoa Zoro beat Mihawk two years ago and claimed his title."

Luffy's eyes widened even more. "What...impossible. Zoro only trained with Mihawk. He was on my ship not even a moment ago."

Ace frowned before he finally grabbed Luffy. "Okay, bro, you're obviously not well. Come on, we'll take you to the infirmary so the doctor can look at you."

Luffy broke away from his brother's grip and stared at him like he was looking at one of the Marine Admirals. "You're not my brother! None of this is real!"

With that, he ran from the group as he attempted to find his way off the ship. When he reached the railing, however, he quickly found only ocean all around him. He was trapped.

"Luffy, stop moving before you hurt yourself," Sabo said in a firm voice as he reached for his baby brother.

Luffy quickly avoided Sabo's advances and stretched his arms to grab onto one of the ship's masts and jolted himself up. When he reached the top, he stood there in surprise as he got a better look at the pirate flag. It wasn't his flag, but it did look similar to it.

The flag had his mark of the skull and crossbones with his strawhat, but on both sides of the skull were the symbol of the ace of spades. There was also a stylized blue 'S' that was in the back of the skull, completing the pirate mark.

Luffy nearly fall off the mast right then and there, but the final shock came when he grabbed his chest. He looked down to see that the 'X' shaped scar on his chest was gone. His chest looked exactly as it did two years ago. There wasn't even any evidence that the scar even existed.

The shock of everything that had happened was too much and he soon found himself blanking out again.

He wasn't sure how long he was out, but he knew his head hurt as he regained his senses.

"How is he, doctor?" Ace asked worriedly as he looked over his brother. Luffy could hear the barely controlled fear in his voice and it made his gut twist in guilt.

"He doesn't have a fever and he seems physically fine," the doctor said as he shone a light in Luffy's eyes, causing him to wince in pain. "It may have something to do with the water in this area, but it would seem that Luffy has lost most of his memories."

"It seemed to be more than just that," Sabo added morbidly. "He seems to have a different set of memories all together. He actually though Roronoa Zoro was his crewmate and that we were both dead."

The doctor shook his head. "I have never heard of anything like this before. I am afraid this is beyond my areas of expertise."

Ace sighed. "So, we need another expert."

"Luckily, there's an island nearby who has a world renowned doctor. Some even call him the best in the world," the doctor said. "If anyone can help Luffy, it's him."

Sabo nodded. "Looks like we have some bit of luck, after all."

"But, I'm not ill," Luffy started as he attempted to move. He quickly found, however, that he couldn't move his hands and legs. He looked over the side to see that he was firmly strapped down to the bed. No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't break the bonds.

Ace went over and gently stroked his head. Despite Luffy's best attempts to pull way, he did find Ace's touch beginning to calm him.

"It's okay. We'll find out what wrong with you," Ace assured smoothly.

"But, nothing's wrong," Luffy said, but this time he wasn't too sure. What had happened to him? Was he really losing his mind?

There was a long paused before Sabo looked towards the doctor. "Can you leave us for awhile?"

The doctor nodded. "Of course. Call me if you need anything." With that, he left the room so the three brothers could be alone.

"Luffy, can you tell us everything you remember before you woke up on the deck?" Sabo asked as he went to sit next to his brother.

Luffy sucked his lips. "I...I was on watch when this strange kid came onboard the ship. I was able to grab him, but he did something to me and I passed out."

Ace glanced at Sabo for a moment before he turned his attention back towards Luffy. "Can you tell us about your crew?"

Luffy gave a small smile, glad to be going to a happier subject. "My crew's the best. Zoro was the first to join and he's my swordsman. He wants to be the greatest swordsman in the world and is very loyal. But he sleeps a lot and can be boring because he tries to be serious all the time. Nami is our navigator and she wants to draw a map of the entire world. She's very smart, but can be mean and she hits me a lot. She also loves money and tangerines, which she refused to share with me." Luffy pouted at the last part.

Ace had to keep himself from chuckling as he waited for Luffy to continue.

"Usopp is my sniper and he wants to be a brave warrior because he can be a coward and runs all the time. He much better and he actually has some muscle now, although he still lies and tells stories. Sanji is the best cook in the world and makes me a lot of tasty meat. He wants to find some sea called All Blue and he loves women. He can be nice, but he always hits me for going for my snacks or when I enter his kitchen without permission." Luffy chuckled at the last part.

"All Blue?" Sabo repeated as he looked towards Ace. He quickly silenced Sabo so Luffy would continue.

"Chopper is our doctor and he's also a reindeer. He has at least eight transformations and wants to find a cure to all diseases. He's fun and he often plays with Usopp and me. He can be shy though and cusses out people who give him compliments."

Sabo put his head down in thought. "A reindeer doctor. Is he...?"

"Robin is our archaeologist who joined after I kicked Crocodile's ass." Luffy went on, paying no mind to Sabo. "She's really reserved and quiet, but she can be fun and has a twisted sense of humor. She wants to know about history and stuff. Franky is our shipwright. I hated him when we first met because he beat Usopp up badly and took our money." Luffy frowned at the memory. "But he's actually a cool guy who happens to be a cyborg that can shot lasers. He can turn into this cool mecha and he built our ship, the Thousand Sunny. My last member to join is Brook. He's a talking skeleton and our musician. He's great; he knows all the best pirate songs and he tells funny skull jokes. He can play any instrument including a guitar, but I like his violin the best."

Ace looked at his brother for a moment. "So, you only had eight crewmates?"

Luffy nodded.

Sabo chuckled. "If it was up to him, it would be fairly small crew and just as random."

"And you went on many adventures with them," Ace stated, not wanting to derail the conversation further.

"Yeah, we went to a desert kingdom, we flew to an island in the sky, we went to a city floating on the water, a ship with zombies on it, and island where the fishmen live." Luffy laughed. "We also had many more adventures."

"I see," Ace said. He didn't look too happy.

"Do you think we should tell him?" Sabo asked.

"I guess we should at least try," Ace said, never turning away from his younger brother.

"Tell me what?" Luffy asked.

"Tell you what has really happened," Ace answered.

Luffy looked at Ace in complete confusion.

"First of all, you do remember Dawn Island?" Ace asked.

Luffy nodded.

"You also remembered the promised we made on the cliff, about our dreams?" Ace went on.

"Of course," Luffy answered. "We promised to live our lives without regret."

"Good, at least you know that," Ace said with a small nod.

"Luffy, why did you think I was dead?" Sabo suddenly asked.

Luffy looked towards his other older brother. "You were killed after you escaped from your parents. I'm not completely sure what happened, but Dogra saw your ship get shot while you were trying to flee the country."

Sabo titled his head. "It's true I escaped from my family a couple days after the great fire, but I didn't go to sea. I returned to the Dadan's family and hid within the mountains."

Luffy looked at him in surprise.

"They continued to look for me, but I was able not to get caught again," Sabo explained with a smug smile. "Especially since Bluejam wasn't around anymore to do the nobles' dirty work."

Luffy stared blankly as Sabo. "Impossible…."

"It's true," Ace said. "We hid Sabo and continued to train in the mountains."

Luffy shook his head as he attempted to absorb all of this. "But, why are we on the same ship? We wanted to be different captains and go on our own path."

"Things changed after the fire," Ace said in a far off voice. "I don't know about you, but I almost lost both my brothers in less than a week. After we were united, I didn't want to ever be separated for any of you again."

"It was tough at the beginning, but we managed to make a crew with us as the three captains," Sabo said proudly.

Luffy blinked in surprise. "I'm captain of this ship?"

Ace chuckled. "Yeah and you must had been one of the youngest captains in history given you were only fourteen years old when we left home."

Luffy sunk deeper into the bed. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. "So, this is my crew?"

"This is it," Sabo said. "We gathered a nice crew from all four seas and set off into the Grand Line a little over three years ago. We've been in the New World for over a year now."

"But...what happened to my crew?" Luffy asked for what felt like the hundredth time. "Where are they? None of this is real!"

"Luffy, calm down," Ace said as he walked towards his brother.

"This isn't real!" Luffy exclaimed again as he looked at his brother. "You're dead! You died in my arms! You can't be here!"

Ace flinched. "I died in your arms?"

"The marines executed you!" Luffy all but yelled. "I tried to save you, but..." He didn't want to say it or remember. The sharp pain in his chest returned as he did everything he could to repress the memory.

"I think that's enough for today, Ace," Sabo said as he grabbed Ace's shoulder. "We should let him rest."

Ace looked at Sabo before he nodded in agreement. They both walked out of the infirmary and closed the door behind them.

Luffy was still near tears as he tried not to remember what happened to Ace. The pain was nearly unbearable. Seeing Ace and Sabo again, alive and happy also only made things worse. This couldn't be real. How could it? Both his brothers were dead. Then, why did he want it to be real? What happened to crew? What had happened to him?

His mind raced with these and several more questions until he became too tired to think. He felt his body relax as the need to sleep overwhelm him. Within moments, he was in a deep dreamless 


	3. Could this be Real?

Days went by and Luffy still wasn't allowed to leave the infirmary. On the condition that he would behave himself, he was eventually unstrapped from the bed and allowed to walk around the room as long as he was supervised. It wasn't too bad at first since the infirmary on the ship was much bigger than one on the Thousand Sunny. Eventually, however, Luffy quickly found himself becoming bored and restless. Despite his confusion on what had happened to him, he still wanted to be allowed to explore and talk to his 'crew'.

Thankfully, either Sabo or Ace came everyday to amuse him for a couple of hours before they had to get back to their duties. Sabo even snuck him extra pieces of meat on the promise that he would never tell Ace.

Even if this was a dream, it was nice to be able to see and interact with his brothers again. They spent hours talking and even played games. They also began to humor Luffy when he went into detail about his adventures with his crew and all the people they'd met on their journey. Sabo would ask questions and wanted to know the everyday actives of his crew and how they ran the ship. Ace tended to be more reserved and mostly just nods when Luffy went into one of his stories. He also appeared more concerned than Sabo, although he didn't say it out loud.

"Ace, can I finally go outside today?" Luffy asked for the twentieth time that day.

Ace sighed. "You know the doctor doesn't want you out until we reach the island."

"But I won't go anywhere. I can't anyway since we're in the middle of the sea," Luffy reasoned.

"Even so..." Ace started; he was still concerned about his brother's mental state.

"I promise I won't bother you anymore if you let me go," Luffy attempted to negotiate.

Ace laughed at the statement. "That's a promise we both know you can't keep."

Luffy pouted and made his eyes bigger to give his brother his best puppy dog look. It was a look he hadn't done in years and just like old times, Ace's face immediately softened. Despite how hard Ace always tried to act, he really was a marshmallow if you knew how to work him.

"Okay, but you have to stay by me," Ace said in defeat as he stood up.

Luffy cheered as he followed Ace out of the infirmary. The deck was filled with several people doing their tasks and they stopped for a moment when they saw Luffy. They said nothing, however, as they quickly went back to work after Ace glared at all of them.

Luffy looked carefully at each of their faces as he attempted to remember any of them. He had absolutely no memory of them. It was like being on a ship with a bunch of strangers. He felt terrible since given the information that both Ace and Sabo provided, he had sailed with some of these people for over three years.

"Are you okay, captain?" one of the crewmembers asked when they saw Luffy.

Luffy looked up to see a young woman that looked almost like Nami except her chest was flatter. She had long blond hair that was tied into a ponytail with bangs that covered parts of her face. Her eyes were a bright purple and they were filled with concern over him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Luffy said with a small, but awkward smile.

"Do you remember anything?" the woman continued.

Luffy sucked his lips, not sure how to answer that question.

"Silk, he still doesn't have his memory," Ace answered firmly. He also didn't look too happy about her talking to Luffy.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Silk said in shame.

Ace walked up to her and lightly touched her shoulder. He then gave her a warm smile. "Don't be. I'm certain even as my brother is now, he appreciates your concern for him," he whispered.

Silk returned the smile before turning her attention back towards Luffy. "I hope you'll feel well soon Lu...I mean captain." With that, she went back to her duties.

"She seems shy," Luffy noted to Ace. She reminded him of Chopper when he first joined his crew.

"She doesn't know how to act around you as you are now," Ace answered. "Silk was the first member to join our crew and she was hand chosen by you."

Luffy looked at Ace in surprise. "By me?"

"When we were first recruiting, we temporarily went our separate ways to build our crew faster," Ace explained. "During your travels, you came across Silk's village when it was about to be assaulted by pirates. You've never told me all the details of the encounter, but apparently the pirate was some jerk called Crescent-Moon Galley. He never made it out of East Blue, so he's hardly important."

There was something vaguely familiar about this story, but Luffy couldn't bring himself to remember. He supposed it wasn't that important.

"I don't remember any of that," Luffy finally said.

"I know, which is why Silk is not very comfortable at the moment," Ace said as they continued their unofficial tour.

From what Luffy could see, there was about thirty something people that made up the crew. The duties of the crew were also more diverse with some people working as laborers that kept the ship running and several people who actually did double duty on certain jobs. This was to make sure if anything happened to one of them, then someone else could do the job. It would be terrible, after all, if they lost their only navigator in the middle of the hostile New World.

What Luffy found the most interesting was how he shared his captain's duties with Sabo and Ace. Sabo was the main navigator as well as the record keeper. He also oversaw the supplies on the ship and made sure they had everything they would need for long voyages.

Ace was the person who oversaw the everyday functions of the crew and made sure everything on the ship was running smoothly. He was also kind of like the battle commander and took over the leadership role if the ship was attacked.

Luffy was told that he was considered the main scout leader and was the one responsible for the landing team on each island they visit. His job was to make the best teams to explore the island and warn the others of any dangers. He was also in charge of the main watch during the night, which was kind of strange since he still hated watch.

It was also odd having three captains on one ship that had equal authority to each other, but they all somehow made it work. Their teamwork, from what he was told, was unmatched and few could equal them in battle.

Although Luffy had no memory of any of this, he believed Ace. Even when they were children, their teamwork was unstoppable and allowed them to take down even the fiercest beasts in the mountains like that giant tiger. It was something that Luffy still fondly remembered even today. It was through their teamwork that he learned his Gum Gum Rocket.

"And here's your favorite room on the ship, the kitchen," Ace said while trying to hide his smile.

Luffy's mouth fall opened when he walked into the gallery. It was over twice the size as the one on the Sunny and the smell of food caused his mouth to instantly water. He looked towards Ace with those huge eyes again, begging for a snack.

"Fine, you can have a treat." Ace sighed in defeat again.

Luffy wasted no time running towards the table. "Sanji, meat!" he proclaimed without thinking. This earned him several confused stares from the chiefs in the room.

Luffy's eyes became downcast as he remembered that Sanji wasn't here and he honestly didn't know any of these people. It was just another remainder of how out of place he felt. He hoped his crew was okay, wherever they were.

Ace saw the change in his brother's mood and walked over to one of the chiefs in the room. "Give him the usual. Don't worry about dinner."

"Ay, captain," the man said as he went right to work.

Luffy didn't look at the cook work and Ace seemed to realize that Luffy wasn't in the mood to talk. So, he chose to simply sit across from Luffy and let him come to him when he was ready.

It was during his musing that Luffy glanced around the table and saw a cookbook lying not far from him. Normally, he wouldn't care about a cookbook since he couldn't use it, but this one caught his attention. He leaned forward to get a better look at it and saw a man on the cover of the book.

Luffy recognized the man and immediately snatched the book up from its place. He stared at the cover in disbelief as he rubbed the picture.

"What's the matter?" Ace asked, not liking that look.

"That's...that's Sanji!" Luffy exclaimed in shock. Right on the cover of the book was undoubtedly Sanji wearing a chief's hat with two women on each of his arms while he held some type of a cooking tool. Luffy has never seen him look so happy.

Ace decided there was no point in hiding it. "Yeah, that's the great chief Sanji who became famous a couple years ago for finding the All Blue. He then used his knowledge to create the greatest restaurant in the world and write several books. He's required reading among anyone who calls themselves a cook."

Luffy felt numb from all this information. First Zoro accomplished his life goal and now Sanji. What was going on? He was beginning to wonder if someone was going to just tell him that he was now the Pirate King.

"Here you go, captain, your favorite," the chief said as he laid down several of the biggest slabs of steak Luffy has ever seen. His distress was soon forgotten as he greedily ate a way. He had to say that this was the best meat he has ever had. It was like the best of Sanji's cooking mixed with the tenderness of the meat from Water 7.

"It may not be like chief Sanji, but this is my pride and joy," the chief said with a loud laugh.

Luffy looked towards the chief. "This is great! More!"

Ace shook his head. "Sorry, but no more until dinner. This was already a special request."

"Aw, Ace," Luffy started.

"You heard me," Ace said more firmly, not giving into anymore of Luffy's demands.

"I should have figured you guys would be in here," Sabo said with a note of humor. "You can be a big softy around Luffy at times, Ace."

Ace just gave a short smirk.

"Anyway, thanks to the wind we should be arriving on that island some time tomorrow," Sabo informed.

"That's good to know," Ace said.

"Hopefully this doctor can help you get well again, Luffy," Sabo said, turning towards his younger brother.

Luffy paused from his meal. "You mean he will help me get back to my real crew?"

There was a long uncomfortable silence. "Sure, Luffy," Sabo finally said. "I'm certain he can help you with that."

Ace gave Sabo a cold glare, but he just shrugged in response.

"Alright!" Luffy cheered as he went back to his snack. This place was simply too weird for him and he wanted to return to his own crew as soon as possible. Although he was going to make sure he stole this recipe for Sanji before he left.

By the early afternoon of the next day, the ship reached the island without incident. Given that they were pirates, they couldn't dock at the main harbor of the city. Thankfully, the townspeople were tolerant towards pirates and gave them an alternate harbor to dock in without gaining the attention from the marines or local authorities.

Luffy looked at the city in awe since it reminded him very much of Water 7 with its tall buildings and people walking the streets. It was amazing that such a city could exist within the unstable New World.

"Stay here. I will go ahead and ask about the doctor. It wouldn't be wise to bring too much attention to ourselves," Ace said as he lowered the ladder.

"Are you sure?" Sabo asked. "You're not really a people's person."

Ace rolled his eyes. "I can handle this."

"Sure you can," Sabo mocked in good humor causing Ace to quickly turn his back on him and climb down the ladder.

"What do you mean, Ace isn't a people person?" Luffy asked.

"Ace acts all polite and cool, but he doesn't actually get along with many people," Sabo stated. "Outside of us and his crew, Ace doesn't really like strangers and wants nothing to do with them. Which is why we usually send you into town since you're such a social butterfly, despite the fact you can get on people's nerves."

Now that Luffy thought about, Ace has never been particularly warm toward strangers. He acted really polite and respectful to them in his later years, but even then he tended to be more of a loner. When they were kids it was even worse. Ace used to pick fights and be even ruder than him. Not to mention he used to use a cuss word every other sentence. Luffy really couldn't remember when Ace grew out of it.

"Why didn't you go with him?" Luffy asked.

Sabo chuckled. "I have to stay behind to make sure you don't end up eating all our food during one of your raids." He then paused for a moment. "Speaking of which, I need to check our food supply. You can just relax until Ace gets back."

Luffy nodded.

"Remember, don't leave the ship," Sabo said firmly as he walked way.

Luffy sighed as he leaned heavily against the railings. Normally, he would insist on going exploring, but he didn't really have the heart to do anything at the moment. It was cool and all to see the city, but he really wanted to get back to his crew.

But the fact that Sanji and Zoro had already achieved their dreams made Luffy wondered if they even wanted to be back in his crew anymore. What was the point on going on adventures if they'd already done what they set out to do? He supposed a better question was how they even achieve their dreams without him knowing it.

This place had to be dream, but a part of him didn't want to believe it. Yes, he missed his crew terribly, but in this place both his brothers were alive. Not just alive, but they were all on the same pirate crew as equals. It was his childhood dream come true.

When he was younger, he had wanted nothing more than to sail the seas with his brothers by his side and he had been upset when both Ace and Sabo had wanted to go their own separate ways. It was too perfect, so it couldn't be real. But he still wished it was real in some way. This was so confusing.

"Hey, you're feeling better today?" Silk asked as she gently put her hand on Luffy's back.

Luffy wasn't startled by the action since he sensed her coming for some time. "Better, I suppose."

"Have any of your memories returned?" Silk questioned.

"I didn't lose my memory," Luffy said firmly. "I remember everything perfectly. And I remember that this isn't my life."

Silk bit her bottom lip before she said anything. "Then, what is it? What am I supposed to be?"

"A dream," Luffy answered without missing a beat. "None of this is real."

"Are you saying I'm not real?" Silk asked in a hurt voice. "Are you saying my entire life is some kind of a lie to you?"

Luffy flinched when he heard her words. "That...that isn't what I meant."

"And what did you mean?" Silk asked firmly.

Luffy couldn't answer the question. Even in his best dreams the people within it weren't this real. In fact, he never really dreamed about anything besides food and becoming the Pirate King. He wasn't going to count the nightmares.

"How can all of this be a dream?" Silk asked, calming down a little. "You can feel the wind in your face, the smell of salt in the air, and taste the food in your mouth. How can it all be explained as you dreaming?"

"I...I don't know," Luffy said in frustration. "But I know this isn't my life. I have another crew and we went on many adventures. That's real."

"How do you know that wasn't a dream?" Silk challenged.

Luffy paused as he searched for an answer, but he really didn't have one. This place was so real, but the last nineteen years of his life couldn't have been just a dream, right? Especially since he had no memories of this place. Dang, his head was starting to hurt. He hated thinking so much.

"Hey, I found the doctor!" Ace yelled from below the ship. "We can bring Luffy right now!"

"Well, I think you all can look after the ship while we're gone," Sabo said, addressing the crew. "We don't know how long we'll going to be here, so keep a low profile and stay out of trouble."

"Ay, captain!" they all yelled.

Sabo then walked up to his younger brother and patted his shoulder. "Let's get going."

Luffy nodded and allowed Ace to lead the way through the city. He looked around to see all the nameless people wondering the streets doing their daily chores or just simply wondering around. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that a dream couldn't possibly be this complex. The faces of all the people he saw were as clear as day. None of their faces were shadowed like they usually where when he saw people in his dreams.

" _What had happened to me? That boy, was he the caused of all of this? He had to be since that was his last clear memory before the world went blank,_ " Luffy thought to himself.

"We're here," Ace said as they stood in front of large building.

"So, this is the office of this great doctor," Sabo said. "Strange, I expected it to be bigger and grander given his status."

"Apparently, he's quite humble," Ace answered. "When I told him of Luffy's condition, he insisted on seeing him right away."

Sabo frowned. He didn't like how that sounded.

Without another word, they walked through the main floor of the building and straight to the recipient's desk.

"Excuse me, but I have the patient as requested by the doctor," Ace said as he pointed towards Luffy.

The recipient nodded. "Of course, please go in. He has been waiting for you."

They went into the back office and Luffy was taken by surprise by who he saw. Maybe he should be used to this by now.

"So this is the patient, Monkey D. Luffy," the doctor said. "I'll need to examine him right away so I can see if my hunch is correct."

Luffy shook his head as he tried once again to clear his mind. "Chopper?"


	4. Second Life

Chopper nodded and smiled at the young captain. "Yes, I am Doctor Tony Tony Chopper. But we hardly need to be so formal. You can just call me Chopper."

Luffy stood there slacked jawed for a long moment. Chopper looked almost the same except he wore a white medical coat that fit his small frame and there was an air of confidence that Chopper didn't usually have unless he was serious.

Regardless of the changes, however, Luffy was near tears as he rushed towards the reindeer, startling Ace and Sabo. He then grabbed the doctor and began to shake him violently. "Chopper, it's me! Don't you remember! You're part of my crew! We're friends!"

"Luffy, stop that!" Ace scolded as he rushed to stop his brother.

Chopper looked surprised for a moment before he calmly put his hooves on Luffy's arms. "So, this is what you were talking about."

Ace nodded once he was sure that Luffy wouldn't accidentally kill the doctor. "Yes, he has been like this for awhile now. He seems to believe that he has another pirate crew made out of world renowned people like yourself."

"Are there any others besides me?" Chopper asked as he gently examined Luffy for any wounds.

Luffy was a little unnerved by how detected Chopper was from him. It wasn't that usual since Chopper was always serious when he was in his doctor mode, but he still managed to keep his playful warmth when he examined him in the past. Now, he was just another patient for Chopper to treat, not his friend.

"One of them is the greatest swordsman in the world, Roronoa Zoro," Sabo said, speaking for the first time since they'd met the doctor.

"Not to mention the wonder cook Sanji from East Blue," Ace added.

"From the names and descriptions he gave of his 'crewmates' I heavily suspect he has Nami the Explorer, the great warrior Usopp, the renowned archaeologist Nico Robin, famed ship builder Franky, and even the Soul King Brook," Sabo explained furthered.

Once Chopper finished checking Luffy's heart he looked up at Sabo. "The Soul King part of a pirate crew?"

"Luffy loves his music and he's a walking skeleton," Ace said dryly.

Chopper glanced at Luffy before continuing. "Does he have a connection like this towards all the members of his 'crew'?"

Luffy didn't care for how everyone was talking about him like he wasn't in the room. He wasn't even sure what they were talking about. How had some of his crew become so famous within such a short period of time?

"I know he actually met Roronoa Zoro when we started recruiting," Sabo said after some thought. "From what Luffy told us, Zoro ran into a little bit of trouble with some creep from the marines and was almost executed because of some deal he made. Luffy helped him out, but they went their separate ways afterwards."

"That isn't how it happened!" Luffy yelled, agitated by how they were ignoring him. "Zoro joined my crew soon after that incident!"

Chopper smiled as he grabbed Luffy's hand and led him to the bed in the room. He then gently sat him down. "It's alright. There's no need to get stressed."

Luffy blinked several times at the reindeer. Chopper had never babied him before. It was almost like he was making fun of him.

Ace sighed as ran his hand through his hair. "Luffy has been sick for over five days now and he seems to be getting worse."

"And it all started when he fall into the sea, correct?" Chopper questioned.

Sabo nodded. "Yeah. He was acting like his normal self and got careless. He fell overboard and I was the one who fished him out."

"Was he injured when he fell into the water?" Chopper continued to question.

Sabo paused in thought. "I don't think so and he wasn't down under long enough to cause brain damage."

"Actually, he did have a mark on his forehead that wasn't there when he fell in," Ace suddenly spoke up.

"It's probably from that kid who brought me here," Luffy said. "He touched my forehead and everything went blank."

Chopper was silent as he went over all the information. "I have an idea what could be wrong, but I need a blood test to confirm it."

He then went up to one of his medical tables and took out a long syringe.

Luffy looked at Chopper nervously as he made his way towards him. It wasn't that he was afraid of needles, but the complete professionalism of Chopper's demeanor, added with the way he was treating him made Luffy nervous. It actually reminded Luffy of how Chopper acted when he first met him back on Drum. Except without all the running and screaming.

Once the blood was drawn, Chopper made his way to the door. "Please stay here. This shouldn't take too long." He closed the door behind him to give them some privacy.

"Looks like we may finally have something," Sabo said hopefully.

Luffy sat on the bed and clapped the soles of his feet together in thought. A part of him was happy that he might finally get some answers to what has been going on. The last five days had been terrible and he felt scared for the first time in years. But Chopper was the best doctor in the world. Even in this place, Chopper wouldn't let him down.

After about twenty minutes of waiting, Chopper finally returned to the room with several medical charts. He didn't look happy, but he still seemed somewhat pleased. "The test has come back and I can now tell you what's wrong with your brother."

All the air seemed to have been sucked out of the room as everyone waited for an explanation. Chopper took a seat in his doctor chair before he talked further. "Your brother has been infected by a fish known as the Belle Rêve. Better known in these parts as the dream fish."

"Dream fish?" Ace repeated, not liking the sound of any of this.

Luffy was completely confused as he looked between his brothers and Chopper.

"It's an extremely rare fish that inhabits the waters near here," Chopper explained. "The fish itself isn't very big, so it's very easy to miss. You can identify a Belle Rêve, however, by its antenna on its head that is longer than its entire body."

Sabo glanced at Luffy worriedly. "What did this fish do to him?"

"I theorize that when your brother fell into the water, he came in contact with this fish who then attached its antenna to your brother's forehead. The Belle Rêve defends itself by releasing a substance from its antenna that affects the function of the brain and causes what can only be describe as lucid dreams," Chopper explained further.

Sabo rubbed his head. "Lucid dreams? What's that?"

"In a nutshell, dreams that are so vivid and real that the person believes that they actually happened," Chopper stated. "A person can live out an entire lifetime within a matter of minutes and believe every detail to be real. Some people even call it a second life."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait!" Luffy exclaimed once he had taken in all this information. "Are you trying to say that I dreamed everything up?"

Chopper paused for a moment. "Yes, the 'other' life that you supposedly left behind was a dream created by your own mind. Which is why people you may have only known in passing or in stories became real and part of your life as you have described."

Luffy rapidly shook his head. "That's a lie! I have perfectly clear memories of my crew and all of our adventures! None of that can just be a dream!"

"Other people who were infected by the Belle Rêve would claim the exact same thing," Chopper said calmly, not unnerved by Luffy's outburst. "As I said, the dreams appear very real and it becomes nearly impossible to separate dream from reality."

Luffy slammed his fist into a nearby wall, leaving a nice size hole in its wake. "It wasn't a dream! Besides, I have no memories of this place at all and I got here after some kid touched me!"

"That kid was most likely created by your mind to explain why you woke up after you were exposed," Chopper explained smoothly. "As for your memories, I am afraid you may of had a rare reaction to the Belle Rêve's poison."

Ace looked at his brother in deep worry. "Are you saying that this fish took his memories as well?"

"It is an extraordinary rare aftereffect of the Belle Rêve's poison which only happens in one in thousands people, but I believe that's exactly what has happened here," Chopper stated with a bit of concern. "That is why your brother is having trouble accepting the idea that his other life was a dream since those are the only memories he now have."

"Is this poison fatal?" Ace continued to ask in worry.

"Despite the poison's mind altering effects, it isn't mortal. Your brother's life isn't in danger," Chopper assured.

"Is there anything we can do to restore his memories?" Sabo questioned.

Chopper shook his head. "I'm afraid there isn't much I can do. His memories could come back in time or they may never be recovered."

Luffy angrily jumped up from the bed. "I don't know what you guy are talking about, but I know I'm not crazy. This place….you guy aren't real. I don't know how, but all of this is some kind of dream!"

"Easy Luffy," Ace said in his most calm voice as he patted Luffy's shoulder. "It will be okay. We will get through this."

Luffy quickly found himself believing Ace. It had been a long time since he has heard his brother talk to him like that. It brought back many warm memories, but he couldn't be fooled. This wasn't real. This...couldn't be real.

"This is a dream and I going to wake myself up!" Luffy yelled as he broke Ace's grip and made a mad dash out of the clinic. He paid no mind to Sabo and Ace's cries as he continued to run through the city, getting surprised stares along the way.

He didn't know much, but he knew that a dream usually ended once you died. If he wanted to escape this place and return to his real crew, he had to find a way to kill himself.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, he found that he had made his way to the end of one of the city's many harbors. He looked down into the clear water and saw his chance to escape.

Luffy slowly walked towards the end of the dock, but stopped just short of jumping in. He had fallen into the ocean many times in his life, but this was very different. This wasn't him accidentally falling into the sea, but him willingly committing suicide.

He quickly shook that thought out of his head and reminded himself that this wasn't suicide. He was waking himself up from a weird dream. If he didn't do this, he would never see his crew again. Even though it was great seeing his brothers again, they were both dead. Nothing here was real.

With his mind made up and his resolve hardened, Luffy took several deep breaths before he stepped forward and dived into the cold water.

Just like all the other times, he felt his strength immediately leave him as he sunk into the murky depths. A strong panic reached his mind, which always happened once he has falling into the sea. This time, however, there was no one there to save him and he didn't want to be saved. He wanted to get back to his crew and that meant dying in this dream.

Luffy tried to get himself to relax as he waited for the familiar sensation of waking up. That sensation, however, never came. Instead he could feel his chest and nose beginning to burn as he breathed in the seawater and his muscles contracted as his body attempted to move to save itself. His curse, however, completely paralyzed his body making it impossible for him to move or even struggled under the water. Instead he just sank deeper and he could feel the fear in his mind completely surface.

He wasn't waking up, he was dying. This feeling of drowning and helplessness was the same feelings he had when he was thrown into Arlong's pool. He was actually going to drown. How could this be? This was supposed to be a dream. You can't actually die in a dream, but he could feel his body beginning to shut down as he breathed in more and more water. It hurt. If there was one thing he had learned in his short life, drowning was not a good way to die, especially for a Devil Fruit user. The pure helplessness of being surrounding in water and feeling of the life being sucked out of you was something that he wouldn't wish on anyone, not even his worst enemies.

He wanted to scream for help. He wanted to scream for his brothers to come and saved him, but nothing came out of his mouth. He wasn't breathing anymore. His lungs had taken in too much water to function. He was going to die. He was going to die not even in a noble or fulfilling way. He was just going to sink to the bottom and no one would even know he was there.

Soon, the world began to become dark and he succumbed to the darkness.

He wasn't sure how long he was under, but voices and smells began to fill his senses. He knew from the sharp pain in his chest that he wasn't dead. Somehow, he was saved. Did he wake up? When he opened his eyes would he see his crew or his long dead brothers?

"Looks like he's regaining consciousness," the voice he immediately recognized said.

Luffy's eyes shot open so he could see his other crewmembers, but was disappointed and strangely relieved to see Ace and Sabo standing by Chopper.

"You were lucky you were able get to him in time. A few more minutes and he would have been beyond even my ability to save," Chopper said to the brothers as he checked Luffy's temperature. "Being a Devil Fruit user actually saved his life. Even though our curse paralyzes us, it also put our bodies in a state of suspended animation. If he was a normal human, he would surely have drowned."

Sabo shook his head. "I didn't think I would have been able to reach him. I was nearly out breath by the time we broke the surface. His curse may have preserved him, but that doesn't change the fact that hauling Luffy out of the water is like dragging ten tons of steel."

"Luffy, what the hell were you thinking!" Ace all but yelled. It reminded Luffy very much on how Ace used to talk to him before they became close as brothers. "Don't you realize how close you were to death!"

"I was trying to wake up," Luffy muttered. His voice sounded hoarse and his vision was still foggy.

"So you thought the best way to escape was to kill yourself," Sabo said firmly. Luffy could tell that he too was extremely angry, but he hid it better than Ace. "So, did you see your other life?"

Luffy turned away as the answer became painfully clear. "No. It actually felt like I was dying."

"That because you were," Ace almost growled.

"Take it easy, Ace," Sabo said as he too calmed down. "We both know Luffy isn't well."

"This type of behavior is common for those who have been greatly affected by the Belle Rêve," Chopper said with a hint of guilt in his voice. "I should have warned you that this could happen, so I'm partly to blame."

There was a long uncomfortable paused.

"What now?" Ace finally asked as he rubbed his brother's hand.

"We'll allow the patient to rest," Chopper advised. "After today's events, I don't think he will try something like that again. But just in case I will post a guard by the door." He then turned towards the two brothers. "I also need to speak to the both of you in private."

Sabo nodded. "Okay." He then walked over towards Luffy and squeezed his other hand. "We should be back soon. Just think about getting well."

Ace said nothing, but he also gave his hand a firm squeeze before they left the room with Chopper.

Luffy lay perfectly still as he listened to the sounds coming from his opened window. He could hear the seagulls crowing in the background and the smell of fresh seawater and fish all around him. He also heard the mindless conversation of people and children laughing as they played games.

Real, it was all so real. This all couldn't be a dream. When he drowned, he actually drowned. There was no vagueness or blank spot like there always was when he faced death while dreaming. He also still felt the pain in his lungs that shouldn't be possible if one was only asleep.

The only conclusion that was left with was that he was really awake and this world was real. But if he admitted to this world being real, he would also have to admit that everything he once knew was a lie and that was something he wasn't ready to do. He didn't want to think his crew and all their adventures were the illusions of some stupid fish.

He did, however, find that more and more of his memories of that life were beginning to become foggy. Like they were less than real and even he was beginning to wonder if they really happened. Could this really be reality?

All this thinking had made him sleepy and he soon couldn't concentrate. He closed his eyes and allowed himself to drift back to sleep.


	5. Acceptance

It was the smell of food that woke Luffy up this time and he slowly opened his eyes to see a plate of fresh meat and fish waiting for him by his bedside. It was quite small compared to his normal meals, but for the first time in his life he didn't particularly care. He really didn't feel like eating, but at the same he was very hungry.

"I knew the smell of food would get you up," Sabo said in good humor. He was sitting in a chair next to the bed and appeared to be reading some type of book.

Luffy slowly sat up and greedily reached for the food. Within a matter of minutes, the food was gone and Luffy patted his stomach from the light snack. He finally took notice of who was missing from the room. "Where's Ace and Chopper?"

"Ace went back to the ship to take care of a couple of things," Sabo informed him. "Chopper is checking on his other patients."

"I see," Luffy said as he leaned against his pillows. "How long was I asleep?"

"A little over day," Sabo said. "You must have really exhausted yourself. Then again, nearly drowning will do that to a person."

Luffy nodded, quickly taking note that he missed nine meals.

"Do you remember anything?" Sabo asked after a moment of silence.

"From which life?" Luffy questioned back. He wasn't angry, but he was more or less frustrated. His nap had done nothing to improve his mood. He just couldn't accept that everything he knew and remembered was all some dream brought on by a fish.

Despite the fact that Luffy had said none of this out loud, Sabo understood everything just by looking at his brother's eyes. "Well, I did bring something that could help you." He then reached into a bag that was sitting on his right side and took out several small books.

"What are those?" Luffy asked as Sabo set the books on Luffy's lap.

"These are all the logs I've written that chronicles our adventures," Sabo said as a small smile came upon his face. "I've written very detailed notes of everything since the day we left Goa Kingdom. I hope these will help you rebuild your memory. At the very least, it should keep you entertained."

Luffy looked at his older brother in awe. He remembered Sabo's dream was to write a novel about his adventures as well as travel the world. In this reality, Sabo was given the chance to live out his dream. He hadn't died before he had a chance to do anything with his life. The thought of Sabo's death bought Luffy near tears.

The thing that has always hurt him the most about Sabo's death was the fact that he died in such a sudden and unfulfilling manner. At least Ace had the chance to live his life free, even in his final moments. The marines may of had the final blow, but Ace died on his terms, not theirs. Even if he hated what Ace had done. Sabo, on the other hand, hadn't even been given that much. To add more salt to the wound, Sabo was all but forgotten after he was killed. Only Ace and he were left to carry on his memory and will.

"But, aren't these your treasures?" Luffy asked after he had cleared his mind.

Sabo nodded before he gave a small smile. "Yeah, but you need them more than me right now. Just don't damage them, okay."

Luffy carefully opened one of the books and gave Sabo a grateful smile. He would never dare to damage any of Sabo's treasures. This was his unfulfilled dream.

"I'll leave you alone for now," Sabo said. "You won't jump into any oceans while I'm gone, will you?"

Luffy laughed nervously. "I won't, I promise."

Sabo nodded before he excused himself from the room.

For the rest of the day and most of the next, Luffy spent his time in bed reading. He had never read so much in his entire life, but he felt this was too important for him not to take it seriously. These were his adventures with his brothers and he wanted to know all the details of what they had endured together. Maybe it would also help jump-start his own supposedly lost memories.

He quickly found that although things had happened differently, his brothers and he went on many of the same adventures as his crew. He also found that he had met several of his crewmates during different periods of time.

Nami, called the explorer according to Sabo, had been forced to return home after Arlong had taken over her hometown. In this version of events he got rid of Arlong after he had threatened to kill Nami's mother and sister. He, along with Sabo, Ace, and several of their crewmates, were easily able to stop the fishmen. As a thank you, Nami gave them several of her charts to help them on the Grand Line.

He had met Usopp after he had singled-handedly defeated the entire crew of pirates who invaded his hometown during one of his visits. Apparently, Luffy had been by himself during this time. He had asked Usopp to join his crew after seeing his strength, but Usopp had turned him down cold. He wanted to continue on his own adventure. According to Sabo's journal, they had met again in Little Garden after they were led into a trap by Baroque Works and he had helped saved them. After that, they had became fairly good friends and had promised to meet each other again. Apparently, Usopp sometimes wrote to him.

He had only met Sanji once and it was pretty much the same event with Don Krieg. Except Sanji was world renowned for his cooking skills and had already found the All Blue. He had been so famous that he was asked to cook for royalty and important officials of the World Government. He had only returned to Baratie to convince the old man that raised him to close down his restaurant and come work with him near All Blue, which he venomously declined.

Robin was still an archaeologist, but she wasn't known as a demon. Instead, she actually worked with the government to learn about history and she gave lectures across the world. From what Luffy read, he had met Robin in Alabasta after she had followed a lead that Crocodile was up to no good and went to spy on him as a favor for the World Government. After a number of events, she ended up teaming up with them and helped put a stop to Crocodile's plans. Interestingly enough, his meeting and adventures with Vivi had been exactly the same; save for the fact they hadn't been go to Drum.

They still met Franky in Water 7, except he was a world famous shipwright and his brothers had hired him to build them a new ship for the New World since their old ship wouldn't be able to make it through the harsher waters. The ship they currently had was the end result and he had given them the honor of being the first since the late Pirate King to have a ship that could sail to the end of the world because of the Adam Wood.

Brook, from what he had read, was someone he had never actually met personally. Instead, Brook was just his favorite singer and he had all his dials in his room along with other merchandise. He especially loved Brook's pirate songs over his rock/soul ballets. He even saw him in concert at Sabaody and Ace went out of his way to get him an autograph and a fan photo that was mounted in his room.

It was more than odd reading about the different ways he met his old crew. A part of him was sad and upset to read that his friends weren't close in this reality. Some didn't even know each other. But he was also proud and happy that they had achieved their dreams and were living happy lives. They had everything they wanted and that was more than he could ever ask for any of them.

"Good afternoon, Luffy," Silk greeted as she entered his room. In her hands were freshly picked sunflowers. She had been coming everyday to give him a new set to keep the room smelling fresh. Luffy thought the gesture was nice since he never cared for the smell of medicine. He also found himself really bonding with Silk. She was almost like a calmer version of Nami.

"How are things going?" Luffy asked as Silk set up the flowers in a nearby potter.

"Fine, Ace has been more up tight than usual, if such of thing was even possible," Silk said with a little humor before her face became downcast. "He has been really worried about you."

Luffy looked away from Silk. "I didn't mean to worry him."

Silk paused before asking her next question. "You still can't remember?"

Luffy shook his head. "I have memories of most of our adventures, but they happened differently. It's to the point I don't know what's real anymore."

"You still think this is a dream?" Silk questioned.

"I...I don't know," Luffy sighed as he rubbed his head. All this thinking was really giving him a headache. He wished Nami or Robin was here. They were good at figuring these kinds of things out. He also wished Usopp was here to lighten up the mood with one of his stories.

"Luffy, what was it about your other life that you loved so much?" Silk asked.

Luffy began to smile slightly. "My crew. We had so much fun together going on adventures and meeting all sorts of weird people. We fought and all at times, but we were like family."

Silk smiled fondly. "That sounds like the bond you had with us, but I doubt you even remember it."

The bitterness in Silk's voice took Luffy off-guard.

Silk used her bangs to shield her eyes. "In your other life, you say both Ace and Sabo are dead."

Luffy once again felt a knife to his heart and his hand instinctually went to his scar chest. He looked down and realized that he had forgotten that his scar was not there anymore. The events of Marineford had never happened.

"Why do you want to return to a life where both your brothers are dead? Does your crew means more to you than your own brothers?" Silk asked steadily.

Luffy opened and closes his mouth several times, not sure of the answer. It wasn't that he wanted Sabo and Ace to be dead, but their deaths were something he was forced to accept. Ace's passing was by far the worst and even now Luffy could barely stand to look at him without being reminded of the giant lava filled-hole that was in his chest the last time he saw him.

He also couldn't answer if he loved his crew more than his brothers. They were both family, but in different ways. He hadn't really known his crew for long. In fact, they spent more time apart than they had sailing, but he was still extremely close to all of them. Their adventures and hardships had forged a bond that was equally as strong as the one he shared with his brothers.

At the same time, however, Ace and Sabo were his brothers. They too had shared their own hardships and adventures. He especially had known Ace longer than anyone else in his life save for his grandpa, Makino, and the mayor. In fact, he could honestly say that Ace was his best friend. Sabo and Ace also weren't depending on him like his crew. He didn't feel the same burning need to protect them. In many ways it was almost the opposite.

"Your brothers are alive and you are all living your dreams," Silk said, interrupting his thoughts. "Isn't that enough for you?"

Luffy once again couldn't think of an answer. Silk was making him sound incredibly selfish.

"Silk, you're not helping by putting him on a guilt trip," Ace said firmly as he walked into the room. Luffy was so focused on Silk and his own conflicting feelings that he hadn't sensed his brother's approach at all.

"Captain Ace, I'm sorry," Silk said in a near panic.

Ace held his hand up. "There's no need to apologize. I know you only meant to help, but Luffy has to accept things at his own pace."

Silk nodded as she turned back towards Luffy. "I need to get back to the ship. Please, get well soon, Luffy." She then turned around and quickly left the room.

"Good old Silk," Ace chuckled as he watched her leave. "She means well, but she can put her foot in her mouth at times."

"I've really hurt her," Luffy said pitifully.

"It can't be helped. You don't remember her," Ace said nonchalantly.

Luffy titled his head. "You seem to be taking this well."

"There's no point of worrying about something you can't change," Ace said as he stared at Luffy. "Whether you remember me or not, you're still my baby brother and I'll take anyway you come."

Luffy was near tears just by hearing that one word. He hasn't been anyone's baby brother in over two years. He had no more brothers. It was that bitter reality that continued to haunt him. That he was the last of the trio that his brothers had formed and only he was left to carry on their wills. It was a heavy burden to carry.

Now, they were back and the terrible events that had befallen them had never happened. They were alive and allowed to be free on the sea and achieve their dreams, just as they had promised on that cliff side so long ago. He knew that was one thing that could never be changed. No matter what life he was living, that bond between brothers could never be broken. That was perhaps the only real thing in this world.

In this life, he had the chance to do things right and grow stronger so he would never have to relive the pain of losing his family. It was in many ways a redo.

"Luffy," Ace whispered, breaking the silence. "When you woke up that day on the ship, you said that I'd died, but unlike Sabo, you never said how it happened except that I was executed by the marines."

Luffy could feel his heart freeze in his chest.

"Being killed by the marines is something we are always in danger of because we are pirates, but you seemed especially traumatized," Ace stated as he looked at Luffy more intensely. "Something more happened then me simply being executed, didn't it?"

Luffy closed his eyes and attempted to seal the memory of that day deep into his mind. He didn't want to remember the blood and the smell of burnt flesh. He didn't want to remember that bastard's face as he ruthlessly charged him and put his fist through his brother's chest. He didn't want to remember the dull thug of his brother's body falling to the cold ground because he no longer had the strength to hold him. He didn't want to remember watching Ace's blood spill out of his still body with a frozen smile on his face. He wanted that day to disappear.

"It doesn't matter," Luffy said firmly as he closed one of Sabo's journals. "It never happened."

Ace looked at Luffy in mild surprise. "Luffy?"

"It never happened because this is my life. I've come to accept that when I couldn't wake up by dying." Luffy continued, his voice steadily becoming stronger. He then glanced at his chest before looking up at Ace again.

"What about your crew?" Ace asked slowly.

Luffy looked down at the journals. "I…I will miss the fun times we had and the adventures we shared, but they all seemed to be happy. They reached their dreams and...they don't really need me. They are living fulfilling lives without the pain they experienced in my…dream. Their happiness is more than enough for me, even if I can no longer sail with them."

"Are you certain?" Ace continued to ask.

"I'm still not completely sure what is real, but I don't want to dwell on that anymore. I'm here and so are you and Sabo." Luffy began to smile. It was one of his huge goofy smiles, full of energy and happiness. "After so long, I have both of my brothers back."

Ace stared at Luffy for a long time, but said nothing more. Instead, they both sat in a comfortable silence for the rest of the day.

By the morning of the next day, Chopper declared Luffy stable enough to leave. Medically, there was nothing that could be done to regain his memory and only time would tell if they would ever return. Chopper was also certain that Luffy was no longer a suicide risk since the incident had been caused by his confusion of dream versus reality and Luffy seemed to have finally accepted this reality as real.

"Chopper, thank you for everything. You're a terrific doctor," Luffy said as he shook the young reindeer's hands. It was odd leaving him behind like this, but Chopper had his own life to live. He was the world's greatest doctor, after all, and he needed to stay and take care of others in need. Besides, Chopper wasn't his crewmate and he had no desire to be a pirate.

Chopper laughed and smiled. "Bastard, just take care of yourself. I don't want to hear about you jumping into the water again."

"You're going to be sick with worry, doctor if that's your main concern," Sabo laughed. "But don't worry; I'll be there to fish him out as always."

"Thanks for your help. We're in your debt," Ace said as he gave Chopper a slight bow.

"Nonsense, this is why I became a doctor," Chopper said. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."

"Then, until we meet again!" Luffy yelled as he walked off with his brothers.

Chopper waved at them until they were out of sight.

The way back to the ship was far different than when Luffy first came to the city. Everything seemed brighter and the people seemed more cheerful. It was like this really was the real world and he no longer seen it as a mere dream. Everything was fresh and new and he wanted to make everyday count.

"Hey, race you back to the ship!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed as he ran ahead of Ace and Sabo.

"Luffy, you don't even know your way back to the dock!" Ace yelled as he chased after his brother.

Sabo just laughed as he followed shortly behind them.

Despite his head start, Ace quickly got in front of him, followed shortly by Sabo. It would appear that despite all of Luffy's training, Ace and Sabo were still quicker than him. He didn't mind too much, however. He would surpass both of them one day.

"Come on, slowpoke!" Sabo teased. "Are you going to come in third again?"

Luffy gave a huge grin and he pushed himself harder. Within a few minutes, they saw the ship over the horizon and were greeted by several of their crewmates.

When they got close enough to the ship they all jumped onboard, earning a loud cheers from everyone. Luffy laughed out loud as he rolled on the deck and looked towards his brothers.

"Last place again, Luffy," Ace teased as he shook his head.

"Don't worry," Luffy said. "I will beat both of you one day."

"Keep dreaming," Sabo joked in good nature. "You're always going to be our weak little brother."

Luffy responded by nudging Sabo in the gut, which only caused the boy to laugh harder.

"Okay, get ready to set sail!" Ace yelled. "The New World waits for no one!"

"Ay, captain!" they all yelled as they went to work. Within thirty minutes, they had opened the sails and they were off to the opened sea again.

Luffy jumped on the figurehead of the ship, which was some beast he didn't recognize, and looked out over the open waters. The day was clear without a cloud in sight. The weather seemed to perfectly reflect his mood.

"I swear, Luffy, if you fall now I ain't swimming for you," Sabo said with humor.

"I won't fall," Luffy assured with a wide grin. He hadn't felt this alive in days. He felt all his frustration, anger, and doubt fade away as he grabbed his hat.

Sabo shook his head. "That's what you always say before you take a dive. I don't want you going near anymore dream fishes."

Luffy just laughed without any care.

This was his dream. He was going to be the Pirate King and be free with his brothers by his side.

* * *

Somewhere else, Luffy's body lay unmoving in a bed with tubes running from his arm and his deep breathing filling the room.


	6. Real World

Zoro gave a loud yawn as he shifted restlessly in his bed. For some reason, he was having trouble sleeping. Something was off tonight, but he wasn't sure what it was. It could be him being overly sensitive given that they were in the New World where death could strike at any moment. His training over the years, however, had taught him to always trust his instincts. Whatever ill feelings he was experiencing wasn't rooted in the dangers of this sea.

He shouldn't be worried, however, since Luffy was on watch. His captain was very reliable when it came to guarding the ship. It was one of the few duties he took seriously despite hating taking watch, but the uneasiness wouldn't go away despite his own assurances. Something was going to happen soon, he could feel it.

"Stop moving around, moss head. You're keeping me awake," Sanji muttered, keeping his voice down so he wouldn't wake up his other crewmates.

Zoro glared at the cook in annoyance. Sanji had always been a light sleeper even by his standards. He supposed it came from years of waking up early to cook breakfast since the love cook never needed an alarm.

Sanji, however, had become even more sensitive since they'd returned to the point that even small movement could now set him off. Then again, the love cook did claim that he was in 'hell' for two years. He wasn't sure what the love cook would call hell, but if he wanted to see what hell really looked like he should try training with Mihawk. He was lucky that he just lost an eye.

"Wait!" Zoro suddenly heard Luffy yell.

He was up and out of bed before his mind fully realized what he was doing. He barely gave a glance at Sanji who was also quickly getting out of bed. His reflexes had greatly increased since he was usually kind of sluggish getting out of bed despite being a light sleeper. Whatever 'hell' he'd been in had done him a world of good, despite the love cook's ill feelings.

When he reached the deck, he saw Luffy holding some strange kid in his arms. The boy looked like he was scared to death as he struggled in Luffy's grip.

"Luffy, what's going on! "Zoro exclaimed, still on high alert. Even though the intruder was a child, there still could be danger. How did a kid get onboard from the middle of the sea anyway? Was he some kind of spy for a pirate crew hidden in the darkness?

"What troubles have you caused now, shitty captain?" Sanji grumbled as he came up the stairs. Zoro could tell he was still half-asleep.

Luffy held up the boy so they could see him better. "This boy snuck onboard the ship."

The boy in question had short black hair with dark brown eyes. His clothes were slightly dirty and they looked like they were covered in ash. Zoro could smell the scent of steel on his clothes.

"Who is he?" Zoro questioned, still getting a bad feeling. This was no normal child.

At that very moment, the kid was able to slip out of Luffy's grip and climb up his body. Before his captain could react, the boy put his hand on Luffy's forehead.

"Belle Rêve!" the boy shouted as a bright blue light blinded them.

When Zoro was able to open his eye again, he watched in horror as Luffy's body went limp and fell boneless onto the deck with a loud thug. Both Sanji and him stood dumbfounded for a moment before they finally burst into action. Zoro chose to go after the kid while Sanji took care of Luffy.

"Get back here!" Zoro yelled as the boy made a mad dash to the ship's railing and jumped over the side. Zoro didn't hear a splash, so he knew the kid didn't hit the water. When he looked over the side, he saw a small rowboat was tied to their ship, which the boy promptly cut with a knife he was hiding. He then began to frantically row his boat away from them.

Zoro cussed under his breath since he knew it would be suicide to jump into the water and swim after him. There was no telling what lurked in this sea and he would be blind since it was night.

"What's going on!?" Nami yelled as she and the rest of the crew ran up on deck.

"It sounded like some...Luffy!" Usopp screamed, stopping himself in mid-sentence.

Everyone gasped when they saw Luffy's lifeless form.

"Luffy-san, what happened!?" Brook yelled in horror when he found his voice.

"Is he hurt?" Franky asked as they ran towards their fallen captain.

Chopper, who had been almost sleep-walking when he came on deck, immediately went to work checking Luffy, who was laying in Sanji's lap in an effort to make him more comfortable. "What happened?"

"Some kid snuck onboard the ship and did something weird to him. When he touched Luffy a blinding light came out of his hand and Luffy just collapsed," Sanji explained calmly, trying to hide his own worry. "I think he was a fruit user."

"A fruit user," Chopper repeated in worry.

If this kid was a Devil Fruit user, they could be in trouble. Even now, science had a hard time countering the unpredictable nature of some Devil Fruits. Regardless, this is what he had trained for. He couldn't fail now.

"Where is this kid now?" Nami asked as she attempted to gain control of the situation.

"He took a rowboat to escape," Zoro answered, taking his eye off the boat for a moment. For a kid, he was a fast paddler. After only a minute he was barely a dot over the horizon.

"He took a small boat on these seas?" Robin questioned in disbelief. "But there is no island around here and we didn't see any ships nearby."

"We can figure all this out once we catch that kid. Get the Mini Merry ready!" Nami ordered Franky as she turned her attention back towards Zoro. "Which direction is he going?"

Zoro turned back to see where the rowboat was heading, but was surprised to see that it had disappeared from sight. "The hell, it's gone!"

"What do you mean it's gone, shitty swordsman!?" Sanji yelled back.

"I mean the damn boat disappeared," Zoro growled. How the hell did that happened? He had it within his sight just a second ago. Even in this darkness he should still be able to see the boat's movements.

Brook went to railing and looked over the silent sea. "I will search for him." He got to his knees and went into a praying position. Soon, his soul rose out of his body and took off from the ship.

"I don't think I will ever get use to that," Usopp muttered. Like Brook wasn't freaky enough.

Robin walked over to Chopper and leaned down to get a better look at her captain. "How is he?" It was kind of eerie looking at Luffy's still, but peaceful face. He would look almost dead if it wasn't for his heavy breathing.

Chopper frowned. "I...I'm not sure. He seems physically fine." He took out a small light and forced one of Luffy's eyes open. He shone the light into the eye and watched for any reaction. "Abnormal eye movement, but reactive to light," he muttered before checking Luffy's pulse. "Heart rate is slow, but stable." He then firmly jabbed one of his hooves into Luffy's side and looked for any movement. "No response to physical stimulation."

While this was happening, Zoro waited impatiently for Brook to return. He refused to look at Luffy while Chopper was doing his diagnosis.

After a few minutes, he could see Brook's soul returning to the ship. "I don't see him at all. It's like he just vanished into the dark," he said as his soul returned to his body.

"Dammit, where could he have gone!?" Zoro all but yelled in frustration as he slammed his fists into the railing, nearly cracking it.

"Let me check," Franky said as he turned on his nipple lights. The entire area lit up and Franky searched around for any signs of a boat or unusual movement in the water. Still, there was nothing within sight. "I don't know. Maybe the kid was eaten by a sea creature."

"I doubt it since his base has to be nearby just for him to get here," Zoro said.

"Not to mention you should have been able to see his blood on the surface of the water," Robin added.

"I need to do a full check up," Chopper finally said. "I can use the equipment in the infirmary to get a better look."

Sanji nodded as he picked Luffy up and followed Chopper into the infirmary. The entire crew watched in worry as they disappeared behind closed doors.

"What do you think that kid wanted?" Usopp asked, wanting to get his mind off of Luffy's condition.

"No way to know," Zoro answered bitterly. "Only Luffy was here to catch the kid."

"What I want to know is how was that boy able to knock Luffy unconscious yet left no physical mark on him?" Franky asked.

"Sanji said that boy was a fruit user," Robin answered.

Zoro nodded. "He muttered some weird phase and a blue light came out of his hand after he touched Luffy's forehead. After that, Luffy just fell over."

Robin mentally took note. "Did you hear the phase?"

"It was Belle Re...something," Zoro said with a note of frustration. It'd happened so fast that he really couldn't remember the phase.

Robin rubbed her chin in thought. That was not much to go on. "Maybe I can find something in the library. It could be our only chance of figuring out what's wrong with Luffy if we don't find that boy."

"But Chopper can help him, right?" Nami asked hopefully.

Robin didn't answer the question, not wanting to dash the younger woman's hopes. By the way Chopper was talking, he may not be able to find out what was wrong.

They all sat in silence as they waited for any news of their captain's condition. Zoro stood as watch just in case the boy returned with backup. Even if he was just a child, he was able to gravely injure their captain with a mere touch. He wouldn't take this boy lightly.

Over half an hour passed before Sanji came walking out of the infirmary. He was nearly mobbed as his concerned crewmates ran up to him.

"Is Luffy alright?" Usopp asked impatiently.

Sanji pulled out one of his cigarettes and lit it before answering. "So far, Chopper hasn't found anything physically wrong with Luffy. He's running a few more tests, but Luffy seems perfectly healthy."

"Has he woken up?" Nami questioned.

Sanji shook his head. "He's not responding at all to anything. He didn't even flinch when Chopper drew blood."

The morale of the crew dropped when they heard this, but they still held on to some hope that Chopper would learn something from the other tests. Needless to say, it was a long night as the crew camped outside the infirmary, awaiting any further news.

Needing something to do, Sanji went into the gallery and fixed coffee for the ladies. Robin, as always, gratefully took a mug along with Nami. Sanji even fixed a light snack for the boys without being asked and made one of Chopper's favorites for him to eat once he was finished.

It was over two hours later that the door to the infirmary finally opened and Chopper's exhausted form stumbled out. Everyone dropped what they were doing as they waited for Chopper's report.

"He's in a coma," Chopper stated bluntly.

It took a moment for the crew to digest this information.

"A coma?" Nami repeated, barely hiding her fear.

"That's the best way to describe it, but at the same time, he isn't really in a coma," Chopper stated, confusing everyone even more. "He won't respond to painful stimulation or loud sounds, but he still has rapid eye movement, which doesn't happens if a person is comatose."

"It sounds like he's just asleep," Robin said as she put her hand on her chin.

"I would come to the same conclusion, but sleep isn't so deep that it would stop a person from responding altogether," Chopper said.

"What put him in this coma?" Brook asked.

"I can't say," Chopper answered. There was a hint of frustration in his voice. "I ran every test that I know and he's healthy. I even used a monitor to test his brain function and saw no sign of damage. His heart rate and breathing are also within normal range and shows no signs of distress."

Zoro did not like any of this information. "Is there any way to wake him up?"

"I honestly don't know since I don't even know what is keeping him asleep. Doctors are still unable to figure out what causes people to slip into comas under normal conditions. If this was caused by the power of a Devil Fruit, I may not be able to bring him out of it," Chopper said as his eyes became a little misty. "If I can't..."

"Don't say things like that!" Sanji exclaimed harshly, startling the young doctor. "Have some faith in your skills. Didn't you train for two years for moments like these?"

Chopper rubbed his eyes, trying to clear his tears. "Yes, but…."

"Overall, Luffy isn't dying, right?" Nami asked, trying to get Chopper out of his morbid chain of thought. They couldn't have Chopper fall apart on them. He was their best hope for helping their captain.

Chopper nodded his head as he attempted to go back into his professional mode. "His vital signs are strong and his breathing is heavy, but within normal range. I don't think he's in any physical danger at the moment. But prolonged unconsciousness can be dangerous too."

"But there's still hope." Nami smiled, looking on the bright side. "I'm certain if there's anyone who can save Luffy, it's you."

Chopper smiled as he fought the urge to do his happy dance. Even if Luffy wasn't in immediate danger of dying, he still wasn't much better off. Something was keeping his captain asleep and he needed to figure out what it was. He couldn't fail. They'd all came too far for him to let them all down.

"While you care for Luffy, we will search for that kid as soon as the sun rises," Zoro said as he looked over the horizon. "He couldn't have gotten far in such a small boat and I refuse to believe he just disappeared into thin air."

With their captain's condition known and a plan made, the crew went back to their cabins and attempted to sleep the rest of the night. It would do them no good being dead tire with worry and they needed their full strength for the long day ahead. No one, however, got much rest.

Despite knowing that their captain's life wasn't in danger at the moment, they were all still greatly concerned about him. It was really the unknown that scared them and the thought that Luffy may never wake up. If he didn't, it would almost be the same as if he had died. If that came to pass, what would happen to the crew? That question crossed every Strawhat's mind, but they refused to answer it. They would save their captain. They couldn't afford to think otherwise.

Zoro, unlike the others, didn't bother to sleep as he chose to finish Luffy's watch. He needed to feel useful in some way to ease his mind off the fact that Luffy was laying lifeless in the infirmary. He felt so useless and angry for not realizing the threat sooner and neutralizing the boy before he could do this to Luffy. He was going to make up for his failure and find that kid. They had all come too far to lose one of their own like this.

The rest of the night passed peacefully and Sanji had woken up two hours before dawn to start breakfast. He was fully aware that he didn't have to wake this early since he didn't need to cook as much since Luffy was down, but he needed something to keep his mind busy. He hadn't slept too well last night.

He was still-haunted by Luffy's lifeless form as Chopper worked on him non-stop to find out what was wrong with him. He wasn't completely sure why Luffy's condition unnerved him so much given that it looked like Luffy was just sleeping and showed no sign of pain. He had seen Luffy and his other crewmates in far worst shape and he barely blinked at the time, except when it came to Nami-san and Robin-chan. Perhaps it was the fact that Luffy looked dead. If it wasn't for the up and down motions of his chest, Luffy had looked like a body being prepared for burial last night.

Sanji quickly shook his head to rid himself of the mental image. He didn't need to worry about that shit head captain. They would find the kid that did this and things would go back to normal. Even if it sounded too optimistic, that was what he was going to keep telling himself.

As soon as the sun came over the horizon, the crew was awake and ready for breakfast. The meal was quick and silent, nothing like their usual loud morning ritual. Everyone were lost in their own thoughts as they ran through what they had to do for the day. Even Zoro was careful not to pick a fight with Sanji and didn't demand sake.

As soon as Franky had finished his meal, he was off to get the Mini Merry prepared. He had to make sure the small ship could keep the scout team safe over the unknown waters. Regardless of how anxious they were to find the person who had harmed their captain, they still had to respect the seas of the New World.

Sanji frown as he became concerned because Chopper hadn't come into the kitchen for breakfast. He knew the small doctor had been holed up in the infirmary the entire night, trying to help Luffy in some way. He wanted Chopper to rest for a while, but he knew that wasn't going to happen any time soon. At the same time, however, he was going to make sure Chopper ate something.

"Hey, Usopp," Sanji called once he saw that the sniper was the last one left in the kitchen. Usopp had been practically picking his breakfast the entire time. Normally, he would have been pissed at Usopp for wasting food, but he understood the younger boy didn't have much of an appetite at the moment. None of them did. "Take this plate to Chopper once you're done." He sat the plate on the table and went back to washing the dishes.

Usopp didn't complain as he took the plate and made his way out of the gallery. When he reached the infirmary's door he knocked a few of times and waited, not wanting to disturb Chopper if he was working or sleeping.

After waiting for nearly a minute, he got no answer. Usopp became worried as he slowly cracked the door opened. "Chopper, are you okay?" He glanced around the room and saw Luffy lying in bed as still as death.

He felt a lump form in his throat as he continued to stare at his captain. His breathing was deep and he had a peaceful expression on his face. There were no signs of pain or distress and his lips were slightly parted. If he didn't know any better, Luffy looked like he was just sleeping after one of his big battles. The complete lack of movement, however, killed the illusion.

"Who's there?" a voice suddenly asked, thick with sleep. Apparently, Chopper had fallen asleep.

"Sanji wanted you to have breakfast," Usopp said as he walked into the room, trying to keep his eyes off of Luffy.

Chopper rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he looked drowsily at Usopp. His eyes suddenly widened when he remembered what happened. "Oh no, I fell asleep!"

"No, you needed the rest," Usopp said calmly. Chopper looked worn out from the dark bags under his eyes. "Maybe you should take a nap once you've finished eating." He sat the plate down on the table.

Chopper shook his head. "I can't. I need to find out what's wrong with Luffy."

Usopp gave him a kind smile as he put his hand on the younger boy's head. "You can't help Luffy if you don't take care of yourself first. If you want, I can stay here and keep watch."

Chopper looked at the sniper for a long minute. Usopp had no medical experience, but Luffy wasn't being treated for anything at the moment. He also knew that it was getting harder to read his medical books as he fought the urge to sleep.

"I...I just feel so useless," Chopper admitted as he slumped into his chair. "I studied for two years to be able to cure any disease we might encounter and I've failed on the first real medical emergency."

"Don't say that," Usopp said firmly. "You're talking like Luffy's already dead. As long as he's alive, there's still a chance that we can save him. Don't lose hope."

It was funny that he was the one being positive for once. He was supposed to be the downer in the crew. He hadn't called himself Mr. Negative to Perona for nothing. The last two years he spent on that hellhole island had really taught him to look on the bright side. It gave one a whole new view on life when a good day was considered one that you didn't get eaten.

Even so, he was also fighting the same feeling of despair at seeing Luffy in such a state. It was more of what they didn't know that scared him. What if Luffy was suffering and none of them were aware of it?

"I know there's still hope," Chopper said, breaking Usopp out of his morbid thoughts. "But I just can't figure out what put him into this state."

Usopp glanced at Luffy again and noticed that his eyes were moving rapidly in his sleep. "His eyes are flickering."

"He has been like that since I first examined him," Chopper said, switching automatically into his doctor mode. "From what I have observed, he appears to be in a type of REM sleep."

"REM sleep?" Usopp repeated in confusion.

"Rapid eye movement," Chopper clarified. "It is a normal stage of sleep characterized by the random movement of the eyes. It's also the only stage of sleep where dreams occur."

Usopp frowned. "So, he's dreaming?"

"I can't be sure," Chopper said as he folded his arms and his eyes became furrowed. "He doesn't have the normal characteristics of REM sleep like an irregular heart and breathing rate. His body temperature is also stable. By everything known to science he shouldn't be in REM sleep, especially for this long."

"What do you mean long?" Usopp asked.

"REM sleep is only supposed to last for a couple hours in a normal sleep cycle. It doesn't continue through the entire sleep period like it's doing here," Chopper explained as he sighed in frustration. "This goes against all my medical knowledge."

Usopp rubbed his head. This was all too confusing. He almost regretted asking for so much information. "Anyway, go get some sleep, Chopper. I'll keep an eye on Luffy."

Chopper finally nodded in defeat and took his plate to eat in private in the men's quarters. He trusted Usopp and knew he would alert him if there were any changes. Besides, he needed to clear his head.

Once Chopper had left, Usopp brought a chair over and sat next to his captain. He kept watching him in silence, hoping that Luffy would suddenly open his eyes and laugh like nothing had happened. Of course, nothing like that happened.

Usopp gave a loud sigh. "Luffy, what's wrong with you?"

He received no answer and only Luffy's deep breathing filled the room. Wherever his mind was, it was beyond the reach of even his crew.

* * *


	7. The Search

Within an hour after breakfast, the Mini Merry was ready and set to depart.

"All we need to do now is decide who will go," Franky informed the crew. "The Mini Merry can carry a max of four people, but I suggest only three for safety reasons."

"I'm going," Zoro said, leaving no room for argument.

"I will go as well," Robin said. "I can use my power to search long distances."

"I should go as well," Nami stated after some thought. "You will need someone to inform you of any changes in the weather conditions."

Franky nodded. "I guess the rest of us will stay back and guard the ship. Since we're anchored in the middle of the sea, we're sitting ducks for anyone who passes through here."

"Shitty swordsman, you've better take care of Nami-san and Robin-chan," Sanji threatened.

Zoro just snorted in response, not in the mood for their usual banter.

"I could release my soul again and trail you," Brook informed. "I could go further ahead and return to the ship if anything happens."

Nami nodded. "Sounds good."

"Let's go, while the weather is still stable," Zoro ordered as they went into the loading dock. They were soon off on the Mini Merry as they began to explore the unknown sea.

Brook followed along side of them as they looked for any signs of the boy or his boat. They even searched for any remains just in case he was eating by a Sea King.

"This is too strange," Nami said as she looked around the empty waters. "Where could that kid have gone in such a tiny boat?"

"Maybe there is a cloaked ship near here," Zoro suggested.

"Whoever heard of a cloaked ship?" Nami asked in annoyance.

"After everything we've seen, you're going to ask a question like that?" Zoro asked in a deadpan voice.

Nami closed her mouth. He had a point.

"If there is cloaked ship near here, what did they want last night?" Brook questioned.

"Maybe the attack was meant to be psychological," Robin suggested. "They take out one of us easily to break the crew's morale. It would make us panic and unorganized, therefore more open to an attack."

"If that was their plan, they've succeeded all too well," Zoro said, not trying to hide his worry.

He could only find it as bad luck that it was their captain that was disabled instead of any of them. As much as he may care for his other crewmates, Luffy's current state was a major blow. The captain was the heart and soul of any crew and the absent of one greatly weakened any pirate crew, regardless of strength.

"But if that's the case, why haven't they attacked us yet?" Nami asked.

"Maybe they want to wait and make sure we go into a blind panic before moving in," Robin stated. "Given enough time, all pirate crews lose their ability to function if their captain is incapacitated."

"The problem with this theory is if there is a cloaked ship nearby there still should be a break in the water," Nami said. As far as she could see, the water was crystal clear.

"Whether there's a cloaked ship or not, we know the boy went in this direction," Brook said. "If I have to, I will search every inch of this area until I rot." He then began to laugh. "Even though I have already rotted."

They all looked at the disembodied spirit and they all silently agreed with him, skull joke aside. They weren't going to abandon their captain even if they had to stay here for months, screw the danger. He would do the same for any of them.

They searched the entire morning and part of the afternoon. It was Nami who told them that they had to return to the ship since they were going too far and she didn't trust the weather to hold. It was a miracle that the weather didn't turn on them and only a light sprinkle of rain came some time during the late morning.

Zoro reluctantly agreed and they were forced back to the ship without any new information or clue to where their attacker went.

Sanji had a nice warm snack waiting for them in the kitchen when they returned since they had all missed lunch.

Franky knew by their disparaged expressions that they had no luck. "We can try again tomorrow. There doesn't appear to be anyone coming at the moment."

"We should double the watch until we find that kid," Zoro stated as he took several sips of his rum. At the moment, sake simply wasn't strong enough. "We don't know if or when that kid will return and if he could do something like this to Luffy so easily, we can't be careful enough."

"I actually agree with the moss head on this," Sanji said, earning a glare from Zoro.

"How's Luffy?" Nami asked hopefully.

"No change," Sanji sighed, causing the navigator's shoulders to slump.

"I will go back to my research," Robin said slowly. "There may be something that can help us."

The rest of the meal was silent as they all thought of their next move. The light sprinkle outside didn't bother any of them and actually brought a sense of peace.

The rest of the day passed slowly as the crew attempted to go about their normal routine. It was tough, however, since everyone kept taking glances at the infirmary door, hoping that Chopper would inform them of any change to their captain.

That night, however, the peace was shattered when a giant downpour of rain seemed to appear out of nowhere and nearly turned over the ship. It took a team effort to keep the ship afloat. It didn't help that the rainstorm suddenly turned into a hailstorm with ice the size of soccer balls hitting them.

It got to the point that only Franky could work outside to maintain the ship since his body was mostly made of metal and wasn't as affected by the hail. Even with his metal body, he still collected more than a few bruises and dents.

This went on for nearly the entire night and kept the crew awake until the sun finally rose. The weather had thankfully given them some mercy and only a little rain still fell.

Between the clean up, the repair work, and the crew's exhausted state, they couldn't go out again.

Chopper was more disturbed, however, that despite all the commotion Luffy hadn't stirred once. He was completely unaware of anything. Chopper tried several drugs to get him to respond in some way, but Luffy never so much as flinched.

Robin used her time going through all their library's books on Devil Fruits, looking for anything that matched Luffy's current condition. It was tough since they weren't even sure what was making Luffy ill or his mental condition. The only thing she knew was that Luffy would not wake up no matter what they did or what was happening around him. That was not much to go on, especially since it was guess that he was even affected by a Devil Fruit.

The next morning wasn't much better since the heavy rain had returned and made the sea too dangerous to sail with the Mini Merry. The crew considered moving the Thousand Sunny, but the wind wasn't on their side. They also didn't want to run the risk of running into some kind of trap if this was the work of rival pirates.

The mood of the crew was at an all time low, but things became worse that same afternoon.

"CHOPPER, CHOPPER!" Usopp screamed as he ran out of the infirmary. Usopp's outburst got the entire crew's attention. Sanji practically flew out of the kitchen when he heard the yelling and even Robin looked alarmed as she walked out of the library.

"Usopp, what's wrong?" Nami asked as Usopp attempted to catch his breath. Even after seeing all of Usopp's panic attacks, she had never seen the sniper like this.

"Luffyis….Luffyis…." Usopp stuttered incomprehensively.

"Dammit Usopp, speak a language we can understand," Zoro said in annoyance as he dropped his weights.

"What happened?" Chopper slurred as he rubbed his eyes and sat up from the tall grass. He had been napping near Zoro who was doing his daily training. It had become routine for one of his crewmates to watch Luffy so he could sleep for a couple of hours.

Usopp looked like he was about to hyperventilate as he attempted to speak again. He was just as incomprehensible.

"Bro, calm down and breathe," Franky said as he grabbed Usopp's shoulders and firmly shook him. This seemed to work since Usopp was breathing more normal. "Now, tell us what's wrong."

"It….it's Luffy…" Usopp finally managed to say.

Sanji's eyes widened. "Is he awake?"

"No…but he appears to be in pain….and he's having trouble breathing," Usopp stuttered.

"He can't breathe?" Chopper asked, now fully awake.

Usopp nodded as he tried to control his shaking. "He just started to gasp without any warning. I…I tried to wake him, but nothing's getting through to him."

"When did this happen?" Zoro demanded.

"Just a few minutes ago," Usopp said.

Chopper didn't waste another moment before he ran into the infirmary with his crewmates right behind him. When they got into the room they saw Luffy struggling under the covers.

It looked like he was trying to move, but his arms and legs remained in place. A thin sheen of sweat had formed on his face and his eyes were tightened. Each of his breaths came out as painful gasps, like either one could be his last.

"Damn, what could have caused this?" Chopper muttered to himself as he assessed his captain. Within seconds of his examination, Luffy struggles began to cease. The Strawhats watched in collective horror as their captain gave one last gasped of air before he became silent. His chest had stopped rising and he was completely limp on the bed.

"He stopped breathing!" Nami yelled once time started to move again.

It took all of Chopper's discipline and training to remain calm as he checked Luffy's pulse. It was extremely faint, but it was there. "I need to get him ventilated. I need someone to give him CPR while I get the equipment ready."

Zoro didn't need to hear anything else as he walked up to the bed and tilted his captain's head back. He then put his lips over Luffy's and proceeded to breathe for him. Zoro could feel his apprehension rise when he felt how cool Luffy's lips were becoming.

Chopper ran all over the room getting the ventilation equipment and hooking everything up. Once he was finished he gently pulled Zoro away and put the tube down Luffy's throat. He then placed a hard board under Luffy and repositioned his body. Once done, Chopper checked his pulse again. His eyes widened for a moment before he quickly regained his senses.

"I've lost his pulse," Chopper stated in his most professional voice. This announcement caused all the air to be sucked out of the room.

Chopper quickly went into his Heavy Point and began to give Luffy chest compressions. At that moment he wished Luffy wasn't made of rubber. If he was a normal human, he could use a defibrillator to restart his heart.

There was a long silent as the crew looked on anxiously as Chopper tried to bring their captain back.

"Damn you, Luffy," Sanji growled as he bit down on his cigarette. "Don't you dare die on us. I'll kick your ass if you make Robin-chan and Nami-san cry anymore."

Nami was in tears as she put her hand over her mouth. Soft sobs began to leave her lips. Robin gently took the younger girl into her arms in an effort to comfort her. Her own eyes were misty as she watched Chopper attempt to resuscitate their captain.

Franky tried to keep his face blank, but his body was visibly shaking and tears were on the edge of his eyes.

Brook looked like he was going to fall over from grief. Was he going to lose another crewmate right before his eyes?

Usopp was all but weeping at this point and had his hand together like he was praying. "Please…please...don't leave us like this," he whispered in a broken plea.

Zoro was staring at Luffy so intensely that he would have burnt a hole through his captain's body. "Dammit Luffy, open your eyes and breath, you bastard. I won't ever forgive you if you die. I'll go to hell itself and kill you if you dare leave us."

Chopper gritted his teeth as he kept pumping his captain's chest. He was pushing so hard that Luffy's ribcage would have undoubtedly shattered if he weren't rubber. He couldn't give up. His crew was counting on him to bring Luffy back. He couldn't fail now.

" _Goddammit Luffy, breath!_ " Chopper screamed in his mind as hot tears build in his eyes.

It was the better part of three minutes before Luffy suddenly came back to life. He began to coughed and gagged violently as if he was throwing up seawater. Chopper immediately stopped the chest compressions and removed the tube before Luffy could choke on it.

"Oh thank god," Nami whispered as her relief overtook her. She nearly collapsed in Robin's arms.

"Dammit Luffy, don't scare us like that!" Usopp yelled tearfully.

"There's no point yelling at him," Chopper said as he eased Luffy up and patted his back. "He's still asleep."

"What, how the hell could he sleep through that!?" Franky yelled in disbelief.

Chopper gritted his teeth in frustration as he rubbed his captain's back. "I don't know. I….just don't know…" He fought the tears that were building in his eyes as he laid Luffy back on the bed.

Luffy shuttered and gasp for air for several more seconds before he finally began to calm down. Throughout it all, Luffy didn't stir from his slumber. Within minutes, his breathing evened out and he once again returned to his motionless state.

The entire crew stared at their captain in silence as they took everything in.

"What the heck happened?" Sanji asked once he found his voice.

Chopper shook his head as he examined Luffy. "I'm not sure. He appears to be fine now, but I need to run some tests to be sure. There could be some brain damage since he was clinically dead for several minutes."

Robin let go of Nami and walked towards the bed. "For a moment, it was like he was drowning."

Sanji nodded as he ran a shaky hand through his hair. "Yeah, I've seen him like this before when I dragged him from the sea." He had seen Luffy nearly drown too many times for it not to be familiar to him.

"But why would Luffy think or even feel like he's drowning?" Nami asked worriedly as she dried her tears. "Especially to the point that he actually stopped breathing."

"Sometimes mental trauma can be so intense that it can make pain real," Brook said in thought.

Usopp thought about Chopper's words the other day. Could Luffy be dreaming that he was in danger?

Zoro said nothing as he stared down at Luffy's now peaceful face. What kind of ability could do this to their captain?

"It will take some time before the tests are done," Chopper said. "I will tell you guys when the results come in."

The crew took this as their cue to leave and they slowly filed out of the room to give Chopper some peace. They attempted to act normal, but the day's events had shaken them all to their core. They had nearly watched Luffy die before their eyes and they could do nothing to help him.

That thought haunted everyone even as they attempted to have lunch. No one really ate and Sanji didn't have the heart to scowl at any of them. He even said nothing as Zoro attempted to deplete their alcohol supply.

Nami wasn't too happy about watching thousands of belli worth of alcohol disappear into one person, but that was mostly because she wanted drown her sorrows herself. At the rate he was going, there would be nothing left by the end of the day.

It was an hour into lunch that Chopper walked in, stopping all movement in the room.

"He's fine now. All his tests came back normal and he's not in any danger anymore," Chopper informed his crew. A sigh of relief was heard from everyone.

"Do you know what caused his episode?" Robin asked; her voice was still filled with worry. If Luffy could suddenly die in his sleep, then he had to be constantly watched. This also added a new dimension to her research.

Chopper shook his head as he sighed. "I have no clue. I thought it was a seizure or even a cardiac arrest by how quickly he crashed, but I can find no physical evidence of either. It's like his body just stopped functioning for no apparent reason. Nothing about Luffy makes any medical sense." He was again near tears and Robin got up from her seat to comfort the young doctor with a tight hug.

"It's alright, Chopper," Robin said in a soothing voice while rubbing his back. "You are doing everything you can."

Chopper couldn't speak as he silently sobbed into Robin's shoulder, releasing days worth of frustration and helplessness. The rest of the crew remained silent as their thoughts went to their captain. Just about all of them felt like crying right now.

The next couple of days passed sluggishly and there was no change in Luffy's condition. The days were nothing but torture for the remaining Strawhats.

Between their worry for their captain and the relentless change in the weather beating down on them, the entire crew was on edge and irritated. It took everything they had to keep from snapping at each other. It had gotten to the point where Zoro practically lived in the Observatory to avoid Sanji. Their fights had gotten so violent that he actually ended up cutting Sanji badly with his swords and Sanji nearly broke all his lower ribs.

This scuffle earned both Chopper and Nami's rage, which ended in a lot of yelling and cussing. Chopper, for first time, almost refused medical care to them. It took a talk down from Robin to get him to change his mind.

Despite Chopper's outburst Zoro was really worried about the young reindeer. Since the day that Luffy had his episode, Chopper spent almost all of his time caring for Luffy and they could barely get him to eat or even sleep. The young doctor was closed to collapsing both mentally and physically. Although Chopper kept saying that Luffy's life didn't appear to be in danger at the moment, he was still sick with worry about his inability to do anything. He was also terrified that Luffy would stop breathing again if he left the room.

It didn't help that given the extended amount of time that Luffy has been unconscious, Chopper was eventually forced to feed Luffy intravenously. He also had to be constantly turned over and moved to keep from developing bedsores and given a cafeter since he wouldn't wake up to relieve himself. He was also starting to lose weight and had become extremely pale. Overall, Luffy was beginning to look like a cancer patient. Slowly but steadily, their captain was fading away before their eyes

They all took turns looking after him when they were able to force Chopper to bed. They all talked to him, hoping that their voices could somehow reach Luffy from wherever his mind was.

Usopp told stories of his adventures on Boin Archipelago and the training he underwent. It was nice to tell these stories since unlike the past, they were all true. Of course, he had to embellish some details here and there. He couldn't allow himself to become rusty, after all.

As hard as the crew tried to stay optimistic, their spirits faltered as the days went by. They were barely speaking to each other and barely had the energy to maintain the ship. The weather added to their misery as it alternated between heavy rain and hail. At this rate, the crew would surely break itself apart.

It was around breakfast time on the fifth day that Robin came into the kitchen with news of her research. Nami quickly left to get Chopper so Robin could address the entire crew at once.

"After much research, I think I may have found a Devil Fruit that matches Luffy's current condition," Robin said as she held up the proper book. "I cannot be sure, of course, but it may be a start."

"I think we all would take any news at this point," Nami said as she rubbed her tired eyes.

"So, what Devil Fruit is it?" Zoro asked, trying to hide how impatient he was.

"It's called the Dream Dream Fruit," Robin informed.

"Dream," Chopper whispered. That would explain why Luffy was always in REM sleep.

"This fruit has the power to trap its victims within a dream world of the user's creation," Robin stated as she read the text in the book. "The dream itself can range from a paradise to a complete nightmare depending on the user's desire."

"That would explain why Luffy won't wake up if he's trapped within some dream," Franky said as he tapped his fingers against the table. "That may also explain that episode a couple days ago if he was dreaming of drowning or something."

"How does a person wake up from such a power?" Brook asked for everyone.

Robin turned the page of her book. "From what I have read, there are only two ways for a person to wake up. They could either break out of the dream themselves or the Devil Fruit user wakes them."

"But Luffy is strong. If this dream can be broken by a person's will, why hasn't Luffy done it by now?" Usopp asked in deep worry. "Is this Devil Fruit so powerful that it can subdue someone like Luffy?"

Robin shook his head. "I honestly do not know. This book only contains the most basic information on any Devil Fruit. A more complete book can only be found in the library of the marines."

Franky sighed in frustration. "We're not sure if this Devil Fruit is even the cause of our captain's condition. We can't even go out to search until the weather clears."

Thunder could be heard in the background as if the weather was mocking them.

"But it's something," Nami said as she leaned further into her chair. "If we're lucky, maybe Luffy will be able to snap himself out of it."

Although she didn't sound convinced of her own statement. Deep inside she knew if Luffy could wake up by his own will, he would have done it by now. She also didn't sense that the weather would turn for the better anytime soon. She was starting to hate the New World and its bipolar mood swings.

The only real consolation any of them had was that Luffy was still in good physical health despite his prolonged sleep. As long as Chopper's medical supple last, and Luffy didn't have another episode, he was in no immediate danger. From what Chopper was able to calculate, Luffy could last months at the rate he was going.

The young doctor also made it very clear, however, that Luffy would eventually die from organ failure since the IV fluids were only given him so much nutrition and couldn't maintain him for a long time span. His body was also in real danger of wasting away from the lack of muscle movement, despite the crew's efforts to excise his limbs every day.

To add to their worries, it was extremely dangerous for them to stay within this one place for too much longer. They'd been very lucky so far that no rival pirates or marines had found them.

Brook suddenly stood up and headed towards the door.

"Where are you going?" Sanji asked the musician.

"I'm going off to search. I can use my power to search the sea, regardless of the weather," Brook said in a firm voice.

"Isn't that dangerous?" Usopp asked. "Your body could be damaged if another hailstorm happens."

"I don't care," Brook said with a bit of heat. "I just can't sit here and do nothing anymore. We've already lost enough time sitting here while our captain wastes away in an eternal sleep." With that, he walked out of the gallery. Everyone stared at the door for long moment.

"I know how he feels," Usopp said as he slumped into his seat. "I feel so useless."

Chopper jumped out of his chair. "I need get back to the infirmary. Luffy may need me." He then left as well.

Nami lowered her head at the depressed state of the entire crew as everyone began to leave the kitchen save for Sanji. It was almost if Luffy had already died.

"Don't worry Nami-san, that shit head will be just fine," Sanji gently assured. "And I'll make sure to give him a good beating for worrying us like this."

Nami gave Sanji a small smile. "Thank you, Sanji-kun."

Brook was gone from his body for nearly the entire day. Zoro kept watched of the skeleton's body to assure nothing attempted to harm it. He wasn't sure how long Brook could stay in his spirit state, but he had to put his trust in his fellow swordsman. He knew what he was doing.

The rain had gradually gotten worse as the day went on, but Zoro refused to move from his spot. Robin provided the swordsman with an umbrella and hot chocolate to keep him warm, which he greatly appreciated despite not saying it out loud.

During his unofficial guard duty, Zoro had dozed off and was sleeping peacefully in a huddled position. He jolted awake, however, when he felt Brook suddenly move. He looked up to see the other swordsman shaking the water from his now drenched clothes.

Zoro noticed something had changed in Brook's expression. "Did you find anything?"

Brook quickly stood up from his praying position. "I did."

Zoro immediately stood up. "What is it?"

"I need to talk to Nami-san," Brook said instead as he went to look for the navigator.

It was currently her turn to watch Luffy while Chopper rested and she was reading a book out loud to her captain. It was more to keep her mind off the current situation since she was almost certain that Luffy couldn't hear her, especially if he was trapped in some dream. He would also find the book boring anyway.

She nearly jumped out of her chair when Brook slammed the door opened. "Brook, dammit don't scare me like that!" Nami yelled, hitting the musician upside his head.

"My apologizes, Nami-san," Brook said as he rubbed his head. "But I need you to move the ship."

Nami's previous anger quickly melted away. "Why?"

"You will have to see for yourself," Brook said.

Nami rushed outside and checked the sun. They only had a couple more hours of daylight so she would have to work fast. The weather wasn't the most ideal either, but she didn't really care about that at the moment. "Everyone on deck, we need to move the ship!"

Everyone dropped what they were doing and surrounded the navigator.

"Is there an attack, sis?" Franky asked.

"It seems Brook found something," Nami informed everyone.

They could feel their hope returning with the news and quickly went to get the Thousand Sunny ready to set sail.

Brook gave the coordinates and they were soon off. It was hard to see since it was still raining and the sky was blackened with heavy clouds, but Nami kept her eyes peeled for anything unusual. So far, she saw nothing. Within a few minutes, they were near the location that Brook had guided them to.

Nami frowned as she looked around. They explored this section already on the Mini Merry and saw nothing previously. It was at this moment, however, that Nami began to notice something strange at the side of her eyes. She turned to get a better look and saw that the background didn't look quite right. Where the rain fell there seemed to be some kind of indent, like the rain was hitting something that wasn't there.

"You see it, don't you," Brook said. "Keep going in this direction and don't stop."

Nami mutely agreed and kept the ship on course. Within a couple more minutes, the rest of the crew could see that the rain was indeed hitting something, but there still appeared to be nothing before them.

"What's going on?" Chopper asked in confusion. "The rain looks like it's hitting rocks or something."

"Could it be some kind of weather phenomena?" Robin questioned.

Once they reached the point where the water seemed to blend with the strange indent the Strawhats were stun to see an island had suddenly appeared before them. The island itself was huge and had a large city that seemed to cover the entire land mass. It looked to be a fairly modern as well. Nami looked over and saw that the rain was actually hitting several rocks that surrounded the island. They were actually lucky that they didn't hit one of them.

"What the..." Sanji stuttered, dropping his cigarette.

"I came across it by accident when I was wondering around," Brook stated. "Somehow, this city was hidden right before our eyes the entire time."

"That's why that boy seemed to just disappeared," Zoro said as it all clicked for him. "He must have crossed this barrier."

Usopp became worried. "Do you think the people here are friendly? They seemed to have gone to a lot of trouble to hide themselves."

Zoro shook his head. "Doesn't matter. Our first duty is to our captain."

Nami's determination also hardened. "We need to find a harbor."

"Roger, sis!" Franky yelled as he stirred the ship within the edge of the island.

When they got close enough, they could see a large harbor on the east side of the island. After about ten minutes, they were docked. They, however, weren't alone. There to greet them were about twenty armed soldiers.

"Stand down, pirates!" one of them yelled. He was obviously the leader given that his armor was more decorated than the others. "We won't let your kind enter our city!"

They then raise their guns at them.


	8. Trap in Paradise

Zoro immediately went for his swords when saw those people raise their guns. Robin quickly put a hand on his shoulder, silently telling him to be at ease. She then walked towards the railing so she could see the soldiers better. Sanji was also on guard, ready to jump in if anyone dared to try to harm Robin.

"We mean you no harm," Robin said in a firm, but gentle voice. "We are just searching for someone that we believe came from this city."

The captain looked unconvinced. "How can we trust you, pirate? Do you think by gaining our trust that we will be easy prey for you? Don't underestimate us just because you've found out about the barrier. We're still more than capable of defending ourselves."

"I speak the truth," Robin said without a trace of panic. "We are here because someone from your city attacked our captain. He has been severely ill for the last couple of days and we feel this person is the only one that can help him."

One of the people sneered at her. "Cry us a river you filthy..."

The captain held up his hand, stopping the guard from saying anything further. "What makes you believe this person can cure your captain?"

Robin became more hopeful since the guard captain was at least willing to listen to them. "We believe he is a Devil Fruit user. This person touched our captain's forehead and he has been in a coma for the past five days."

The soldiers looked at each other. Most had annoyed expressions on their faces, while others looked worried.

"Dammit, did that boy Toby do something again?" one of them grumbled

"He's knows better than to go near any pirate ship that passes through here," another soldier said.

"That boy is nothing but trouble," someone else muttered.

Zoro stiffened when he heard them whisper among themselves. They had finally found a lead.

"So, you know what has befallen our captain," Robin stated neutrally. Her hopes, however, had greatly risen.

The guard captain glared at her. "Even if we did, we would never assist pirates. You'll most likely sack our city once you get what you want."

"We would never do such a thing. We're not those kind of pirates," Nami insisted, seeing their chances of helping Luffy slipping away.

"A pirate's word means nothing," the guard captain said with a bit of heat. "But I'm also no fool. I can tell that even if we hit you with everything we have, you would still most likely defeat us."

"Captain!" one of the guards gasped.

"These are no ordinary pirates even by the New World's standards. I can sense several powerful fighters among their ranks," the guard captain stated as he glanced specially at Zoro, Sanji, Franky, and Robin. "If there was just one or two of them, we may of had a chance. But as things stand now, there's no hope."

Zoro was greatly impressed by the man. He apparently had Haki since he knew all of that without even seeing the entire crew.

"As much as I don't like it, we have no choice but to cooperate with them for the time being," the guard captain said reluctantly.

"But they will destroy our city!" one of them exclaimed. "I would whether fight to the death than surrender our city to a bunch of pirates!"

"They could destroy our city right now if they desired and we wouldn't be able to stop them even if we fought to the last man," the guard captain said almost bitterly. "It isn't like we can call the World Government to help us and if we can avoid bloodshed, I'm willing to cooperate with pirates."

Sanji stepped forward to look at the soldiers. "We don't want to harm anyone. We just want to save our captain."

The guard captain stared at Sanji for a moment. "The boy who most likely hurt your captain is named Toby. He's the blacksmith's son who lives in the middle of the city. If you want, I can escort you to them."

"We would be most grateful," Robin said humbly as she walked off the ship.

Zoro followed shortly behind her. "Watch the ship, love cook."

"Whatever, moss head," Sanji countered instinctually, but it didn't have its usual venom.

"Can I come too?" Usopp asked. He wanted to be one of the first to find out what had happened to his captain.

"I see no harm," Robin said after she glanced at the captain of the guard, who gave a simple shrug.

Usopp quickly climbed down the ladder and followed the guard captain into town.

Despite the entire island being hidden from the outside world, the city itself was as lively and as loud as any major metropolitan. They got their fair shares of stares and glares from the citizens, but most people chose to avoid them.

"This place seems to thrive quite well despite it being hidden," Robin noted.

"The World Government knows of our existence and they give us supplies from the outside world," the guard captain said. "In exchange for our rare trade goods, they keep our location a secret from most people. Given that this is the New World, it's one of the few things we can do protect ourselves from powerful pirates like yourselves."

Robin nodded in understanding. "I see, but how can you cloak an entire island? This place doesn't even show up on a Log Pose."

"That's a secret we've told no one, not even the government," the captain guard said firmly and he glared at Robin. "It would be devastating for not just us but for the entire world if our technology fell into the wrong hands."

Robin inwardly shuttered at the thought of the government or a vicious pirate crew getting their hands on such a cloaking device. They could literally hide an entire armada.

"I'm surprised that the government was not more insisting," Robin remarked. She couldn't believe that the World Government, who had no qualms with reducing an entire island to dust, would allow a cloaked island to live peacefully.

"This is the New World so the government can't afford to use their entire military might. The unstable weather around this area could easily sink even their best battleship. There is, of course, the danger of pirates, especially the Four Emperors," the guard captain stated. "The New World may be dangerous, but it does offer us protection."

Robin nodded in understanding, although she suspected that there was more to this story. That, however, wasn't her main concern at the moment. Her captain came first. Although she still had to fight the urge to explore the island. She was certain this city had a lot of history behind it.

After walking for about twenty minutes, they came to a small stall where a heavy set man hammered a piece of metal. He had a thick black beard that matched his coal black eyes. He was as tall as Zoro, but much more bulky.

The man looked up from his work to see the small group walking towards him. "Captain Jackson. What can I help you with today?"

Jackson glanced at the Strawhats, who stood behind him. "These pirates want to talk to your son, John."

John froze in place as he glanced at each of the Strawhats. "What...why?"

"According to them, your son attacked their captain a couple days ago," Jackson explained in a neutral tone.

The blacksmith's eyes went from surprise to cold anger. Zoro, however, could sense his anger wasn't directed at them.

"Toby, get your butt out here!" John roared, startling Usopp.

A young boy shyly snuck his head out the front door of the building before he timidly approached his father. "Yes, dad?"

His father pointed to the group of pirates. "Did you go near that pirate ship!"

The boy paused for a moment before he shook his head. "No...no. I've never seen any of them before."

Zoro narrowed his eye. "He's lying. I know this is the same boy I saw the other night."

"You're the liar, pirate!" the boy yelled, but there was a clear desperation in his voice. "I never went anywhere near your stupid ship!"

"I know you were there and you did something to our captain," Zoro said firmly. He had to curb his temper since losing it now would destroy the fragile trust they've build with the guard captain and they couldn't afford to fight the entire city. "You touched his forehead and now he's lying unconscious in bed without showing any signs of waking up."

The boy's father turned towards his son. "Boy, you used your powers, didn't you!"

Toby seemed to wither under his father's glare. "I..."

"Toby, please tell us the truth," Jackson said in a patient tone. "Did you board the pirate ship the other night?"

Toby stared down at his feet and he looked to be near tears. "Yes…."

"I told you to stay away from that thing. You know the law of this city. You can be banished for your actions," John said in a more calm, but serious tone.

Toby visibly paled when he heard those words.

"What possessed you to go anywhere near a pirate ship?" Jackson asked.

Toby couldn't look at his father or the guard captain as he continued to stare at his feet. "Jason and the others dared me to go and steal their pirate flag."

"A dare!?" Usopp exclaimed in disbelief. "This happened to Luffy because of a dare!"

Toby ran behind his father for protection. "I didn't mean it. But Jason recognized your mark and thought it would be cool to steal it and show it off. He told me he would let me hang out with his gang if I did it."

"Toby, I've told you to stay away from that spoiled brat and his friends," John said, deeply disappointed.

"I...I just wanted to fit in," Toby said, deeply ashamed. "They've never liked me because they think I'm a freak, so I thought this was my chance to prove myself."

Robin's heart went out to the boy. She understood all too well how it felt to be isolated and judged because of one's powers. At the same time, however, she couldn't be too sympathetic. This misguided child had hurt their captain.

"Listen kid, we just want our captain back to normal," Usopp said, trying to make his voice sound pleasant.

Robin knelt down so she could see Toby better. "Tell me, did you eat a Devil Fruit called the Dream Dream Fruit?"

Toby's eyes widened in disbelief. "How did you know that?"

"It doesn't matter. As it stands, you're the only one that can reverse it," Robin stated. "Our captain has been unable to break your power and I doubt he will be able to given how much time has already passed."

"From what I know, a person usually doesn't wake up on their own after the first two days," Jackson remarked off-handedly.

Usopp looked at the captain. "He does this often?"

"Often enough, although I can't entirely blame him," Jackson said as he folded his arms. "Most of the people he used his powers against did deserve it to some extent. You would think in the New World that people wouldn't treat fruit users as monsters. Especially given that Toby's powers will be enviable to us in the future."

"What do you mean?" Usopp asked.

"Toby has a very powerful ability, probably one of the strongest of his type. If trained and mastered, he can disable even the most powerful pirate," Jackson explained. "It can give us the edge we need to defend our home."

Usopp swallowed hard. As far as he was concern, Toby didn't need to be trained. He took out Luffy with a mere touch. He didn't even want to think if he could do the same to the entire crew.

Toby slowly nodded at Robin, not paying attention to the guard captain. "I...I can fix him. I just need to touch him again."

Zoro wanted to protest since he didn't want this kid anywhere near his captain again. But he knew he had no choice in the matter. As Robin said, at this point it was unlikely that Luffy would be able to break the boy's power and Luffy wasn't better off sleeping forever.

John sighed as he put his hand on his son's shoulder. "If he helps, do you promise not to harm my son? He may be a fool, but he meant no harm."

"You have our word that no harm will befall your son," Robin said. If everything worked out, she saw no need for further hostility.

John nodded. "You may be pirates, but I trust you for some strange reason. If you don't mind, however, I will come with you."

"You must also promise that once your captain is cured, you will leave our city and never tell anyone of our location as long as you live," Jackson added.

"You have my word as a swordsman, if this kid can reverse what he has done," Zoro said.

"Very well, then," Jackson said.

With everything arranged, the group made their way back towards the ship.

Throughout the entire walk, Zoro kept his eye on Toby. Boy or not, this kid was still able to take down their captain with no effort. He had a dangerous power and he had no intention of underestimated him. Even with all his training, it was still hard to guard against the unpredictable nature of a Devil Fruit user, especially one who could render him unconscious just by touching him.

When they reached the harbor they saw that the soldiers were still on high alert and were glaring coldly at the remaining Strawhats. They still held their weapons up, ready for any sneak attack. Sanji returned the glare as he leaned against the railing and calmly smoked his cigarette.

Zoro paid none of this any mind as he led the group onboard the Sunny. Jackson stood behind to steady his men. The last thing they needed was any kind of incident.

When Zoro and the others got on deck the rest of the crew, save for Chopper, quickly greeted them.

"So, this is the kid who started all of this?" Franky asked as he lifted up his sunglasses to get a better look at Toby. The boy hid behind his father again when he saw the huge cyborg.

"Yeah, that's him," Sanji confirmed as he blew some smoke. "I recognized him anywhere."

"Where's your captain?" John asked, wanting to get this over with. He was obviously uncomfortable being on a ship full of wanted pirates.

"He's here," Nami said as she led them into the infirmary. The rest of the crew followed shortly behind her. Soon everyone was cramped inside the small room.

Chopper was still checking Luffy when everyone entered. "Is this the boy?"

Robin nodded. "Yes and it would seem I was correct. He has indeed eaten the Dream Dream Devil Fruit."

"So, Luffy has been dreaming the entire time," Chopper said as he glanced back at his captain. He began to wonder what Luffy been dreaming. Was he having a happy dream? He hoped he hadn't been stuck within a nightmare with no way of waking up.

Toby looked over Luffy's peaceful face and realized just how young the Strawhats' captain really was. He looked so much scarier in the dark.

"That's your captain?" John asked in surprise. "He looks like he's barely into adulthood."

"You have no idea," Sanji muttered. Despite Luffy's childish nature, however, he has greatly missed the rubber idiot and couldn't wait for him to wake up and drive them all crazy again. Of course, that was after he beat him up for worrying them.

"Okay, Toby," John said firmly as he patted his son's shoulder. "You know what to do."

Toby nodded as he placed both his hands on Luffy's forehead. "Rêve Mondiale, Partez!"

A bright flash of blue light filled the room, causing everyone to turn away and shield their eyes. When their sight returned they all expected to see Luffy opened his eyes and shoot out of bed asking for food. That, however, didn't happen. They waited for what seemed like hours and Luffy didn't even twitch. His breathing was still heavy and his face was unmoved.

"It didn't work," Chopper said slowly as his hopes fading again.

Zoro glared at the boy. "I thought you said you could fix him?"

Toby became nervous. "Let...let me try again." He put his hands back on Luffy's forehead. "Rêve Mondiale, Partez!"

Another flash of light filled the room, but still nothing happened. Toby tried several more times, but Luffy gave no kind of response.

By this time, Toby was sweating bullets as he slowly realized that he couldn't undo his own spell. "Ummm...sorry, but I can't wake him."

There was a long silence in the room.

"What do you mean you can't wake him!?" Nami snapped. All of her frustrations over the last five days came pouring out. "It was your power that caused this!"

"Yeah...well..." Toby stuttered.

"Strange, you always were able to undo your powers before," John said as he stared down at Luffy. "Why is this any different?"

Toby put his hands in his hair. "I don't get it, it should work! He shouldn't still be asleep!"

"The book said that the user is the only one that can break the spell if the victim themselves are unable to do it," Robin stated, trying to hide her own panic. "Did we miss something?"

"Well, you did also say that book only gave basic information," Franky said. "Maybe there's more to his power."

"Toby, did you do anything different than usual?" John asked his son, ignoring the ongoing conversations.

Toby stumbled for an answer as he tried to calm down. "No... I did everything the same. Nothing's different! The only real different is the amount of time he has been asleep." He then paused for a second. "Now that I think about it...I didn't give him a nightmare." His eyes widened as he realized what had happened.

"What do you mean, didn't give him a a nightmare?" Brook asked, interrupting Toby's thoughts.

"Usually, I use my powers against those who tease me. I put those jerks into nightmares of their own creation and give them a taste of their own medicine," Toby said with a mischievous smile. He quickly lost his smile after he saw his father give him a death glare. "In most cases, though, it's so bad for them that they wake themselves up without my help. Kind of like any bad dream."

"And you didn't do that against Luffy?" Usopp questioned slowly. He too was losing his patience with this kid. He couldn't stand seeing Luffy like this.

Toby nodded nervously. "I did it in a hurry and without really thinking about it, but I'm certain that I said Belle Rêve, so I trapped him within a nice dream."

"So, he is within a paradise," Robin said. A part of her was relieved to know that Luffy was not suffering within a nightmare, but something told her he was far worse because of that.

"So what?" Zoro growled in frustration. "That doesn't explain why you can't wake him."

Toby bit his lips and tapped is fingers. "My ability to wake someone is limited to the person's desire. If the person wants to wake up, then they will wake up once I dispel the dream world. Which means if I can't wake your captain, then he doesn't want to wake up."

Another long paused followed.

"What, impossible!" Nami yelled in disbelief. "Luffy would never choose to live in some dream. No matter how pleasant it may be."

"My powers make the dream very real. It's so well crafted that everything seems real from the sights, sounds, smells, and even touch," Toby explained. "A person can even die within the dream world, so people can't wake themselves by getting killed like any normal dream. To the unprepared mind, my powers make the dream real. That's partly why I don't usually give pleasant dreams because there is an increase risk of the person never waking up, especially after so much time has passed."

"Are you saying that Luffy-san can no longer tell the difference between reality and the dream?" Brook asked as a deep sense of dread built within him.

"Either that or he chose to willingly ignore the fact that he's dreaming. For some, it's impossible to give up ones' heart desires," Toby said before he looked away from the pirate crew. His eyes were downcast in shame and sadness. "In either case, your captain has willingly accepted the dream world as his new reality. Because of that he'll sleep like this forever."

"You can't be serious!" Zoro roared. "You expect us to believe you!"

"It doesn't matter if you chose to believe me," Toby said firmly, trying to hide his growing fear. "Once one accepts the dream as real, they become beyond even my power to save."

Usopp shook his head in disbelief. His knees began to shake as Toby's words fully sunk in. "This...this can't be..."

"There has to be another way," Nami said desperately, trying to keep calm. Despite her best attempts, however, she could feel her own grief beginning to overtake her. She was closed to collapsing into tears.

"There isn't," Toby muttered softly.

"You better think of something!" Zoro yelled as he marched up to the boy. "It's your fault this even happened."

John jumped in front of Zoro's before he could reach his son. "Toby did everything he could for your captain. There's nothing more that can be done."

"I won't accept that!" Zoro yelled angrily. He was literally shaking in rage. After everything, after all their struggles, they couldn't lose their captain like this. Not to some kid with an overpowered Devil Fruit.

"It doesn't matter if you accept it or not, it's the way things are," John came close to yelling. Unlike his son, he showed no fear of the one-eyed swordsman. "The only thing you can do now is to allow your captain to pass peacefully in his sleep. Whatever he once desired in life, he can have within his dream."

"It's you who don't understand," Sanji said calmly, but he too was barely holding his own anger. "We came too far together to simply allow our captain to wither away in his sleep. We won't give up on him just because your son says it's impossible."

"Well, your captain obviously doesn't return your feelings given that he has chosen a dream over you," John countered harshly. "You are here worrying about his health and he isn't even thinking about you."

"You know nothing of our captain," Brook almost growled, startling some of the Strawhats. "He may have been fooled into accepting the dream, but he would never choose to stay in one if he knew how much he was hurting his crew."

"How can you be so sure?" John challenged as he glared at the skeleton. "He has everything he wants in his dream. Why would he care about any of you?"

"Because we're his family," Brook said without missing a beat.

John wasn't expecting that answer. He had some experience with pirates and most were a selfish, self-serving bunch of bastards. The only real exceptions that he knew of were the late pirate Whitebeard and his rival Red-Haired Shanks. Both of them, however, started pirating before the Golden Age of Pirates. The newer generation was much more cruel and heartless than the ones before Gold Roger's death. To see this powerful, but young crew referred to themselves as family was just unbelievable.

Then again, their captain did storm Marineford during the war in an effort to save his brother. He supposed loyalty among pirates hadn't died with Whitebeard.

Chopper frowned as he continued to look at Luffy's prone body. "Isn't there a way for us to bring him out of his dream? Maybe if he sees or hears us, he'll realize that he's dreaming and wake himself up."

Franky nodded. "No Devil Fruit is unbreakable, no matter how powerful it is."

John looked at the reindeer. "I doubt you can reach him in this state and you can't just enter someone's dream."

Toby's shoulders stiffened at those words.

"We have to try something," Usopp said almost desperately. "We just can't abandon Luffy."

Robin looked at Toby. "There must be something within your power that can help. A Devil Fruit user usually has more than one way to disengage their power. As Franky said, no Devil Fruit is unbreakable."

Toby did everything he could not to met Robin's eyes. "There...there may be something. But it's extremely risky."

The fading light of hope quickly reignited in the room.

"What is it?" Brook asked for all of them.

"I can go into his dream," Toby answered.


	9. Dream World

The Strawhats were left stunned by what Toby said. Toby, for his part, still refused to meet their eyes as they contemplated his suggestion.

"Enter his dream, are you serious?" Nami asked in disbelief. Even after all they had been through, that sounded absurd.

"Toby, you can actually do that?" John asked in equal disbelief.

"Well...yeah, it's an extension of my power," Toby said slowly. "I went into other people's dreams before, but it was more for fun."

John glared at his son. "What have you been doing?"

"I didn't do any harm!" Toby defended quickly.

"That's an invasion of privacy." John scolded.

"Explain yourself," Zoro said harshly, interrupting the current conversation.

Toby quickly turned his attention towards the swordsman. "I can use my ability to go into anyone's dream. If I enter your captain's mind, I may be able to force him to accept reality again. But...I don't think it's something you want me to do."

"Why not?" Chopper asked.

"Forcing someone to give up their idea world can be very painful, not to mention traumatizing," Toby said as he played with his fingers. He seemed to be searching for the right words. "It's like forcing a person to rip out their own heart."

"How exactly do you plan to wake our captain? I doubt it is as simple as just getting him to acknowledge that he is dreaming," Robin stated. "If that was the case, I'm certain he would have been able to break free himself."

Chopper shook his head in confusion. "I don't get it. Why wouldn't Luffy be able to wake himself up if he accepts he's in a dream? Didn't you say your power was based on desire?"

"When a person is first cast into their dream, they're often confused and want to wake up regardless of the nature of the dream," Toby explained. "If and when they come to accept the dream, a part of them will never want to let it go even if they do acknowledge that they are in fact dreaming. So, my power is still rendered useless since the dreamer's will overrides my ability."

"Then how can you break it by going into Luffy's mind?" Franky asked suspiciously.

"The dream itself isn't actually held together by the person or even my power," Toby attempted to explain as he thought of the right words. "The entire dream world is held together by a person's desire or wish. For example, if a person dreams of becoming a king of a country, then that country becomes what I would call an anchor to the dream world. If that anchor was to be destroyed in some way, then the dream will end."

"So, in order to wake Luffy-san up, we have to destroy the source of his dream," Brook said. He could understand why Toby had said it would be like ripping out your own heart. "What did he wish for?"

"I have no clue," Toby answered honestly. "I won't know anything until I enter the dream."

"What makes you think we would allow you anywhere near our captain's mind?" Zoro asked coldly.

Toby returned the swordsman's glare, not caring for how the man was talking to him. "Listen if you don't want me to try, that's fine by me. I don't want to do it either, but the fact remains that your captain will remain in his dream until he dies."

Even Zoro flinched at the boy's outburst. It wasn't the tone, but the fact that the kid was right. If allowed to do nothing, Luffy would never wake up. As much as he didn't trust the boy, he had no choice but to rely on him.

"Toby, is entering a person's dream even safe?" John asked in concern.

Toby shuffled his feet. "Well...it can be dangerous. If something was to happen to me in the dream, it would affect me in real life."

Nami remembered what Toby said earlier about Luffy actually dying within the dream world if he was killed. The same could very well be true for Toby. Even with his Devil Fruit power, that was quite a risk.

"Forget it," John said firmly.

"You can't decide that," Zoro growled, staring down the boy's father.

"He's my son and I'm not about to risk his life," John said, not backing down. "He did what he could to save your captain and it was your captain that decided to stay in his dream."

"This wouldn't have happened if your son hadn't come here on a dare of all things!" Zoro yelled. "He caused this and now he's going to fix it!"

"Over my dead body," John sneered. He looking like he was ready to deck Zoro.

"Please don't fight in here," Chopper pleaded as he turned into his Heavy Point.

John was startled to see the sudden transformation. "A gorilla zoan?"

"I'm a reindeer!" Chopper yelled in annoyance. Why did everyone get his species wrong?

"Dad, it's okay," Toby said, stopping the argument. "He's right. I did cause this."

"Toby..." John started.

"I...I want to help him or at least give him a proper choice," Toby said before his voice hardened. "Don't worry. I should be able to navigate through his dream without too much trouble. My power will protect me."

"Toby, do you even know what you're saying?" John asked.

"I….I'm the one who misused my powers," Toby said as his voice became a whisper. "If I don't fix their captain…the city would be in trouble…wouldn't it?"

John could say nothing.

Robin closed her eyes in thought for a moment. "Toby, can you also bring others with you into a dream?"

Toby was surprise by the questioned. "Yeah, I can. But I've never actually done it before."

"Then, you can take us with you into Luffy's dream," Usopp said excitedly.

"Huh, are you crazy?" Toby asked in shock. "This isn't a field trip. This is dangerous, you know."

"You said you can take us into our captain's mind," Franky said. "If you can do that, we're going. Besides, despite what Zoro says, we can't in good conscious allow a child to do this something like this alone."

"Also, I think we would all feel more comfortable going then leaving things to some a stranger," Sanji added. "Take it as you will, but we don't trust you."

Nami nodded. "We won't be left behind. Besides, you may need our help finding the source of Luffy's dream."

John looked at the entire crew. "You're really going through with this? You do realize you're putting your very lives at stake."

"We have to try," Usopp said firmly. "We can't just let Luffy sleep forever."

Toby gave a deep sigh. "If there's no stopping you, I guess we should begin."

"What do we need to do?" Chopper asked.

"Form a circle around the bed and one of you needs to grab my shoulder," Toby instructed. "I will then link your minds into the dream world. Keep in mind that any harm done to your dream bodies will affect you here."

"We understand," Robin said as everyone quickly gathered around Toby. They all soon formed a semicircle around Luffy's bed. Zoro linked everyone by firmly gripping Toby's shoulder.

"Old man," Zoro said as he looked at John. "We're counting on you to keep an eye on things here."

John was stuck for a moment by how trusting the crew was being. He thought one of them would stay behind to protect the others, but they instead left the duty to him; a stranger who could easily kill all of them once they entered the dream. He wasn't sure to call them brave or just stupid.

Then again, maybe it was because they could sense that he wouldn't betray them. Despite the grievance between him and the one-eyed swordsman, there was a strange mutual trust between the two of them. Perhaps he was thinking too much about it.

"As long as you take care of my son, I will do everything within my power to keep your bodies safe," John said before he glared at Zoro. "But make no mistake, if anything happens to my child I will kill every last one of you."

Zoro smirked and nodded. Despite everything, his respect for this man had greatly increased.

Toby touched Luffy's forehead. "Well, here we go."

Another bright blue blinded the crew and then everything went black.

* * *

When they opened their eyes again, they looked to be in some type harbor on the edge of a large city. The nearby sailors worked around them like they had always been there.

"Where are we?" Usopp asked as he looked at the city. It looked familiar somehow.

Franky titled his head in thought. "This place kind of reminds me of Water 7."

"Looks more like Shell Town to me," Zoro commented as he looked at a distance building that reminded him too much of that cursed marine base.

"If it looks familiar, then it was mostly likely designed off of whatever town he has seen before. This is his dream world," Toby said. His voice sounded deeper for some reason.

They all turned around to see that Toby had changed. He looked like he had age at least ten years and had a strong built very much like his father. He actually looked quite handsome.

"Toby, what happened to you?" Brook questioned, shocked by the transformation.

Toby gave a wide smile. "Because of my Devil Fruit, I have some power over anyone's dream. One of them being that I can change my appearance at will as well as the appearance of others."

"Your Devil Fruit seems ridiculously overpowered," Franky observed as he crossed his arms. "You can put people into an eternal sleep and even enter and control their dreams like it some kind of playground."

Toby shook his head. "My Devil Fruit is powerful, but it does have its limit. For example, I can only put one person to sleep within a thirty-minute time span. Also, as I said before, I can be harmed or even killed when I enter a person's dream."

Zoro chose not to comment on Toby's new appearance or the current conversation. Although it was comforting to know that Toby couldn't just put the entire crew to sleep on a whim. He was certain Toby told them his weaknesses to keep them at ease. He didn't think Toby was hiding anything or lying given that the boy was afraid of them and believed that they would harm his home. He didn't care too much about being seen as a typical pirate, but it did have its benefits.

"So, Luffy is in this city?" Zoro asked.

"No," Toby answered. "I'm not sure where he is actually."

"Then why are we here?" Nami asked impatiently.

"When I brought us into this world I used my powers to will us into a place that could help us locate your captain," Toby said. "From what information I was able to gather, he saw a doctor here...I think."

"You knew all that by entering his dream?" Usopp asked in awe.

"I can get a feel of your captain's footprint, I guess you can call it," Toby explained slowly as he thought of the right words. "If he stays in one place for an extended amount of time, I can sense him. But given how weak his footprint is, he left a while ago and I can't accurately pinpoint his whereabouts." He paused in thought. "Usually the dreamer's world is very narrow and focused, but this is different. Your captain's world is quite vast and it actually seems to be growing."

Nami gave a small smile. That sounded like Luffy. His adventurous spirit would have never allowed him to stay in one place, dream or not.

"How can he have been gone for awhile?" Franky asked. "Luffy fell asleep just five days ago."

"This is a dream, so time would pass differently," Robin answered for Toby. "What's maybe five days to us could be weeks or even months to Luffy."

Toby nodded. "Exactly. One has no sense of time when asleep."

"You said he went to a doctor?" Chopper asked, getting back to the main subject.

"I think that is what happened, but I can't be sure," Toby stated.

"It's good place to start." Zoro said as he began to lead the group forward.

"Where are you going?" Toby asked. "The doctor is in the other direction."

Zoro stopped in his tracks as he realized he was heading further into the harbor.

"Two years and your sense of direction still suck," Sanji chuckled. "If Perona hadn't helped you get back to Sabaody, we may have never seen you again, moss head."

"Save it, dart board!" Zoro yelled.

"Please, not now," Nami muttered in frustration.

"Indeed, we have more pressing matters," Robin said calmly, but her voice left no room for argument.

Brook laughed. "Maybe we should let Toby lead, Zoro-san."

Somehow, Sanji and Zoro avoided any further argument and followed Toby into the city. When they entered the main part of metropolis, they were surprise to see how lively the place was. Everything seemed so real, even the random conversations and people.

"This place is amazing," Chopper said in awe. "It's hard to believe that nothing is actually real."

Usopp shook his head. "I wouldn't blame Luffy if he couldn't tell the difference."

"Don't get too caught up with what you're seeing," Toby warned. "If you began to think of this place as real, you will be in danger of getting trapped here yourselves. I also suggest being careful about whomever you talk to."

"Why, none of the people are real, right?" Nami asked.

"This place is powered by your captain's mind, so the people here do have a degree of freewill. The more your captain sees this place as real, the more powerful the dream becomes, including the people," Toby stated. "As the people become more real, so will their need to survive. If they begin to feel that their existence is at stake, they will defend this world."

"You mean they might attack us if they learn what we are doing," Brook concluded.

Toby nodded. "Right." He then paused for a moment. "There is also another big danger. There is one person here that isn't who they appear."

All the Strawhat eyed Toby anxiously.

"For the lack of better words, there's a mole here," Toby said in a grave tone. "It's an entity that is created to keep a person within the dream world. They deceive the person into thinking that this is the real world and will do anything to keep the dreamer from finding out the truth."

"So, this mole is most likely with Luffy," Robin deduced.

"Most likely," Toby said. "The mole, unlike the other people here, will realize right away that we don't belong here and will try to stop us. So, stay on your toes."

"Wish you would have warned us before coming here," Usopp grumbled.

"Would that had stopped you from coming?" Toby asked honestly. "I told you this place was dangerous."

Usopp closed his mouth. Of course it wouldn't have stopped him from saving his best friend, but he still would liked to know about these kind of things.

"Can't you stop the mole with your powers?" Brook asked.

"I only have a measure of control within a dream," Toby said. "My powers created the mole to keep the dream going, but I can't actually stop it. Which is why it's dangerous to go into another person's mind."

"I wondered what Luffy wished for when he created this world?" Nami wondered more to herself. "Do you think he's the Pirate King here?"

Zoro shrugged. "No way to know until we get more information."

Toby asked for directions to the doctor and they walked until they reached a large building. When they entered the recipient greeted them.

"Hello, how may I help you today?" the recipient asked in a kind voice. "Do you have an appointment?"

"We want to see the doctor about a patient that had passed through here," Toby said. He then turned towards the crew. "What's the name of your captain again?"

Zoro sighed as he walked up to the desk. "His name is Monkey D. Luffy."

The recipient flinched when she heard the name.

Robin realized the source of the hesitation. "We're not marines or bounty hunters. We are friends of Luffy and we heard he was hurt."

The recipient looked nervous for a moment before she answered. "He was here, but he left weeks ago, sorry."

"Do you know where he went?" Nami asked.

"No," the recipient answered quickly.

"Who's there? Is that my next patient?" a familiar childish voice asked as one of the doors in front of them opened.

The crew looked down and was stunned at what they saw. Chopper looked like he was going to have a heart attack as he stared at the other doctor. It was him. His double looked exactly liked him, save for him wearing a doctor's coat. His double also seemed older for some reason.

"Dr. Chopper, these people claimed to be friends of Strawhat Luffy," the recipient said.

Dream Chopper looked surprise by this information. "Really, are you part of his crew?"

Everyone was still too slack jawed to answer.

Robin, however, was the first one to recover. "No, Doctor-san," she said, using her old nickname for the dream double. "We are just friends passing through and we heard rumors that Strawhat Luffy had stopped by here."

Dream Chopper sighed. "I'm afraid you've missed him by over a month. Besides, I don't think he would have recognized you even if you did arrive here earlier."

"What, why wouldn't he know us?" Franky asked in surprise.

While this was going on, Chopper leaned towards Toby so only he could hear him. "Why doesn't my dream counterpart react to me?"

"Although you may look the same to yourself and your friends, you look very different to everyone else here," Toby explained. "I figured your captain may have made dream versions of all of you and it would be awkward if you guys met with the same face."

Chopper nodded in understanding. Despite his young age, Toby was smarter than they had given him credit for.

"Your friend was very sick when he came here," Dream Chopper stated solemnly. "He was affected by the poison of the Belle Rêve."

This got Chopper's attention back on the main conversation. "Belle Rêve?"

"A rare fish that causes one to go into a dream state and live what can be described as a second life. He became convinced that the dream was real and that his own life was a fantasy," Dream Chopper explained. "It didn't help that the poison caused him to lose his memory of his former life, making the dream world easier to accept as reality."

All the Strawhats looked at each other in confusion. It would appear that Luffy's mind had come up with its own explanation to what had happened.

Toby quickly realized what the crew was thinking. "His mind didn't create this explanation, my Devil Fruit did," he whispered among them. "It did it so Strawhat would be more accepting of this dream being real."

"Looks like it worked all too well," Franky whispered.

Usopp shook his head in disbelief. "Your power is really evil."

Toby shrugged, not sure what to say.

"He never regained his memories, didn't he?" Robin asked as she kept talking to Dream Chopper.

"Afraid not," Dream Chopper said as his voice became grave. "He was so convinced that this was a dream that he tried to 'wake' himself by drowning himself at the harbor. Luckily, I was able revive him since he was clinically dead for over three minutes."

Chopper gasped when he heard this. That was why Luffy suddenly died on them the other day and why he had reacted like he was drowning.

The other Strawhats also cringed when they heard what their captain had attempted to do. They could only imagine how scared and confused Luffy had to have been to even consider taking his own life, dream or not.

Toby sighed. "They always try to kill themselves," he muttered to himself.

"But he was happy when he left here. He was laughing and stuff. He seemed to have accepted that he had been dreaming and left with his brothers," Dream Chopper said, attempting to perk up the band of pirates.

"Brothers?" Usopp repeated in surprise. Luffy had only one brother from what he could remember.

"Yeah, they were off to an adventure and stuff," Dream Chopper laughed. "They're such lively bunch. It must be fun being on their crew."

"Why didn't you join them?" Chopper asked his counterpart.

"I couldn't leave my practice," Dream Chopper said as if the question was unthinkable. "People all over the world count on me to take care of them and cure their illnesses. I don't have the time to go off on some adventure and play pirate."

Chopper realized that his counterpart acted more professional and down to earth than him. He also didn't seem to have any dreams outside his profession. Was this the way Luffy viewed him?

"Looks like we didn't get any leads," Franky sighed in frustration.

"We did learn why Luffy-san accepted this place as the real world, however," Brook said to the cyborg.

Usopp turned towards Toby. "What now?"

"I can handle it from here," Toby said. He then put his hands on the floor and a bright light flashed before them. Dream Chopper didn't seem to notice anything, however.

"Actually, I may know of some people who may be able to help you," Dream Chopper suddenly said. "There are two people who have just come into the city that know Luffy and maybe able to help you find him."

Zoro blinked at the suddenly change. "Where can we find them?"

"I think they are at a bar on Elme Street," Dream Chopper said. "It's not too far from here; you can't miss it."

Robin smiled at reindeer. "Thank you very much, Doctor-san."

Dream Chopper smiled. "If you need anything else, you know where to find me."

They all waved their goodbyes and left the doctor's office.

"Well that was strange," Franky said, still stunned at seeing two Choppers.

"I wonder if we'll see any more of our dream doubles here?" Usopp asked. Chopper pretty much acted like himself, except for maybe being more cold and mature. At the same time, however, that version of Chopper didn't know them.

Zoro turned towards Toby. "What did you do in there?"

"I told Strawhat's mind to provide us with people to take us to him," Toby answered.

"Why didn't you do that when we came here?" Nami asked.

"Because when I do stuff like that, it makes the dream people aware that something is wrong because I'm bending their reality. I can do it a couple times without worry, but after that we run the risk of being caught," Toby explained. "I was hoping that the doctor would have more information so I wouldn't have to intervene, but what's done is done."

"If you could do that, you could have asked Luffy's mind to take us straight to him," Franky said.

"I can't; the command is too big and I don't have that level of control, yet." Toby stated. "Transporting in a dream as big as this one is difficult, especially since I will also have to move all of you as well."

"Hey old woman, give me your purse!" a man yelled.

The crew looked up to see a huge man knocking down an elderly woman that looked to be in her sixties. Several other people, who looked like a street gang, laughed at the lady's misery as they surrounded her. The leader of the group snatched the woman's pink purse and dumped everything out of it like it was trash.

"What the hell! Is this all the cash you have!" the man growled as he picked up the woman's belli. "This is nowhere near enough to pay for entering our turf."

"Please sir, I just need to get through to buy my medicine," the woman pleaded.

Several of the leader's friends laughed at her.

"Tell someone who cares, you old hag," one of them mocked. "No cash, no go."

The leader nodded as he threw her purse back into the woman's face. "Get this shitty bag of bones out of my sight."

"With pleasure, boss," one of the thugs said as he cracked his knuckles.

"We should help," Brook said, reaching for his sword.

"Don't pay attention to this," Toby said as he watched the scene dispassionately. "This is nothing more than a dream sequence."

"Even so, it's so violent," Nami said as she shook her head. She has seen this kind of thing happen too many times among pirates to just turn her head.

Sanji had to fight the urge not to kick those men's asses. He knew it was all a dream, but she couldn't stand to see any woman in distress.

Zoro reached for his swords. "Whether this is a dream sequence or not, they are in our way."

"Back down, hoodlums!" a voice yelled dramatically, stopping everyone in their tracks. "Don't you know how to respect your elders?"

Everyone turned to see a man with a hat hiding his face. He had very tan brown skin and wore what could only be described as an adventurer outfit. What caught the Strawhats attention, however, was his long nose.

"It couldn't be?" Usopp whispered.

"Who the hell are you?" one of the thugs asked in annoyance.

The man gave a big smirk that showed off his shining white teeth. "I would think even filth like you have heard of me." The man lifted his hat so everyone could see him.

Several people back up in awe and shock. "It's him!"

"One of the greatest warriors in the world, the mighty adventurer, Usopp!" one of them yelled.

Zoro raised his eyebrow. "The adventurer, really?"

Dream Usopp stood proudly in full view of the attackers. His smirk never left his face and the wind blew dramatically behind him.

"Usopp, huh? Who gives a shit?" the leader sneered. "You picked the wrong gang to mess with you stupid woodpecker. Get him!"

All the gang members attempted to attack Usopp at once and their weapons ranged from knives to baseball bats.

Dream Usopp calmly took out his Kuro Kabuto and took aim. Unlike the real Usopp, he called no attack name and fired. A small seed like pallet shot forward before it exploded into a giant plant that completely ate all the attackers, save for the leader.

The leader's eyes almost pop out of his head as he watched his gang gets eaten alive. "Wh...what the hell!"

"You should have more respect for the mighty warrior of the sea," Dream Usopp said boastfully as he titled his hat. "I once took out an entire army with a single pop green. Simple thugs like you stand no chance!"

"He's so brave," one of the citizens said with stars in their eyes.

"He's really the greatest warrior on the seas," another one said in awe.

Sanji shook his head as he rubbed his forehead. "What a ham."

"He's like Usopp if he was super arrogant," Nami said, not believing what she was seeing. Usopp had his moments, but this was over the top even by his standards.

"The biggest difference is that this version of Usopp can actually back up his assertion," Robin stated as she observed the fight. She was actually quite amused at what she was seeing.

"Does...does Luffy really see me like this?" Usopp asked in both shock and awe.

"Given the nature of the dream world, this could be his ideal version of you or the way he thinks you view yourself. Or, he really could be mocking you," Toby said as he too enjoyed the fight. He wished he could create some popcorn. "It really can go either way."

"Dammit, you think you can make a fool out of me!" the leader yelled as he took out a gun. "I'll blow your brains out."

Dream Usopp laughed. "Even with a gun, you're too slow to beat me. But by all means, please try."

The leader cussed under his breath as he pulled the trigger.

Usopp moved aside and shot another pop green, except this one turned into a giant leech like creature that attached itself to the gang's leader neck. The creature was almost as big as his entire head.

"What the hell!" the leader exclaimed as he frantically attempted to pull the plant off. "Get this thing off of me!"

"That special plant won't stop until it sucks all the blood out of your body," Dream Usopp proclaimed. "A fitting fate for a blood sucker like you."

The leader screamed in pain one last time as he fell to the road. His entire body shriveled up liked a mummy and he stopped moving.

Robin was briefly reminded of how people looked after Crocodile had dehydrated them.

The crowd clapped and cheered as the gang leader fell.

Dream Usopp bend down and grabbed the old lady's purse. He then handed it back to its rightful owner. "Here you go miss. Sorry for all the trouble."

The woman smiled and hugged him. "You saved my life; I'm eternally grateful."

Dream Usopp pulled away from the embrace. "Just doing what's right. The weak won't suffer as long as Usopp the mighty is around." He then pumped his arm into the air. "Now sing with me! _Usopp the mighty, greatest on the seas. Fighting the strong, while never losing sleep._ "

The people around the area actually did begin singing along with him.

The Strawhats watched the entire scene with sweat drops coming from their heads. The only person who didn't look disturbed was Robin and she looked like she was fighting not to laugh.

"Do...do I really act like that?" the real Usopp stuttered.

Sanji shook his head. "This is too cheesy, even by your standards."

Chopper titled his head. "You act like a super hero."

"It's more like all those crazy stories you use to tell have come to life," Franky said as he rubbed his head.

Nami put her hand on her forehead. "I should have figured we would see something like this in Luffy's mind."

Zoro just watched the entire scene without saying anything. Something told him that this place would just get more bizarre as they moved forward.


	10. Strange, but Familiar People

Once the song had ended, the crowds thinned and eventually left like nothing had happened. The gang were eventually picked up by the proper authorizes, by no one really cared if they were still alive or not. When everything was finished, Dream Usopp dusted himself off as he congratulated himself for a job well down.

"Now that's done, I better head for the bar," Dream Usopp said. "I'm already late."

"Excuse me!" Toby yelled, leaving behind the still stun Strawhats. "Can you help us? We're looking for someone who can tell us where Strawhat Luffy is."

Dream Usopp eyed him suspiciously. "What do you want with Luffy?"

"Well, they...I mean we're friends of his and we were trying to meet up," Toby stuttered nervously.

"You're not a good liar," Sanji whispered to himself.

Dream Usopp kept eyeing him for a couple more seconds before he suddenly burst into laughter. "Well isn't this a stroke of luck. I was just heading out to find Luffy myself. In fact, I would say your timing is perfect since I was getting ready to set sail with an acquaintance of mine."

"Are you part of his crew?" Usopp asked his other self.

"Nay, but he asked me to join after I beat the crap out of some lowlife cat pirate named Kuro," Dream Usopp chuckled.

Usopp's eyes widened in shock. "You beat Captain Kuro single-handedly!"

"With my eyes close and one hand tied behind his back," Dream Usopp said with a great deal of pride. "But that was nothing. I dealt with far worst scam bags than him."

Usopp wasn't sure what to say. Luffy may have made his counterpart a boastful, annoying ham who couldn't sing on key, but he had to admit, Luffy made him into a badass. Even if he trained for another ten years, he would be lucky to be half as strong as Luffy's vision of him. It made him nervous to think Luffy held him to such a high standard.

"If you're not part of his crew, why are you looking for him?" Nami asked.

She knew it was kind of a silly question since this was undoubtedly the result of Toby using his powers, but a part of her really wanted to know the relationship Dream Usopp shared with their captain given their altered history.

Dream Usopp crossed his arms. "Well, we're still good friends despite not sailing on the same ship. We really helped each other out back in Little Garden and we've met several times since then. I've heard he entered the New World about a year ago, so I decided to pay him a visit for old time's sake."

"And you say you are meeting a friend at the bar?" Franky asked.

"Yeah, we both teamed up awhile ago," Dream Usopp said. "Navigating the Grand Line is one thing, but I have no experience in the New World. So, I got the greatest navigator in the world to help me out."

"We would love to meet this person," Robin said with a smile, knowing whom he was talking about.

"Sure, the bar is this way," Dream Usopp said as he led them to a nearby building that was just around the corner of their current location. When they went in it was nearly empty save for one or two people playing pool. What caught the Strawhat's attention, however, was a young lady with long orange hair that was covered by a black bandana sitting on a bar stool with her back turned to them. She was impatiently stirring her drink and only stopped once she heard them enter.

"You're late, Usopp," the woman said in an annoyed voice as she turned to face them.

The crew was mildly surprised to see Nami with her legs cross staring at them with a bored expression. Unlike the other dream versions that the crew had met so far, Nami looked quite different from her real self. One of them bring that her hair was in a ponytail instead of hanging loose. She also wore a regular dark blue t-shirt with white edges on the neck and sleeves. It was the most modest that Zoro, Usopp, and Sanji have ever seen Nami since they'd left East Blue. The most glaring difference, however, was that Nami's boobs were actually smaller. It looked more around the size they were when they had first met her back in East Blue.

"Sorry, but some gang members were bullying an old lady," Dream Usopp said before he smiled. "Good thing, Usopp the Mighty, was there to put a stop to it and return the proper order."

Dream Nami rolled her eyes. "Cut the crap already."

Nami blinked several times as she stared at her counterpart. "Why..why did Luffy shrink my chest?"

"You would be concerned about that of all things," Zoro said with a wide grin, enjoying the look on Nami's face.

"That shit head captain," Sanji growled as he reached for a cigarette. "How dare he mess with Nami like this? Doesn't he understand that Nami-san was endowed by the gods?"

Nami blushed when she heard Sanji said that and Robin had to hold in a chuckle.

"Maybe Luffy just likes flat chested woman," Franky suggested with a smirk.

"Does Luffy even like women?" Usopp asked. Even though Luffy did peep on Nami now and then, it only happened when he was with him.

"I don't think he swings the other way," Franky answered after some thought.

"Maybe you should ask moss head," Sanji said mischievously as he prepared to light his cigarette.

Zoro glared at the cook. "What's that supposed to mean, princess?"

"Don't you ever call me princess, shitty swordsman!" Sanji yelled, stunning even Zoro to silence. That name brought back too many images from his time in hell.

"Maybe it's more nostalgic than sexual since this is the way Nami looked when he met her, I assume," Robin surmised, although she was still smiling at the entire situation. It had been a long time since she had been this amused.

Brook laughed. "I prefer other areas of a woman's body personally."

"What other areas?" Chopper asked innocently.

"We'll tell you when you're older," Robin said before Brook could answer.

Chopper may be technically a teenager, but he still had a little kid's mentality about some things, especially sex when it came to humans. This also wasn't the place to have that kind of talk. There was also the added fact that Toby was also listening to them and he couldn't be more than ten.

After thinking about it for a moment, Nami had to agree with Robin's theory. It would make the most sense that Luffy didn't pay that much attention to a woman's chest so he probably wouldn't have noticed her growth over the years. It was still very odd to look at, however.

She then finally realized where she had seen that outfit that her dream self was currently wearing. She had worn that exact same outfit on the very day she stole all of Alvida's treasure when she sacked a passenger ship. Before she had taken off with the money, she thought she saw a glimpse of Luffy escaping in a lifeboat with a pink-haired boy, but it had happened so fast that she had forgotten about the entire event. Apparently, Luffy hadn't. She wasn't sure what to make of that.

Sanji suddenly began to cough when he exhaled his cigarette, getting everyone's attention again.

"What's wrong now, love cook?" Zoro asked with a note of humor. "Forgot how to smoke your own cancer stick?"

Sanji looked at his cigarette for a moment before he threw it down and stomped on it. "My cigarettes don't taste right."

"What do you mean?" Chopper asked.

"I mean they don't taste right," Sanji repeated in frustration. "I can't explain it, but cigarettes aren't suppose to taste like that."

Toby looked at the cook. "Does your captain smoke?"

The question caught Sanji off-guard. "What?"

"Does your captain smoke?" Toby repeated.

Sanji shook his head. "As far as I know, he has never smoked a day in his life."

"Then that's your answer," Toby stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"You lost me," Usopp said in confusion.

Robin understood where Toby was coming from. "Since this is Luffy's dream world, everything is created by things he has seen, done, and experienced. Since Luffy has never smoked, he wouldn't know what a cigarette tastes like."

Sanji grumbled at the news. That meant while he was stuck in his shitty captain's mind, he couldn't take a smoke. There was also no telling how long they were going to be here. He really needed to smoke too, dammit.

"You need to kick the habit anyway," Zoro joked. "Smoking is a nasty habit and unfitting of a cook. That's probably why your food is so crappy."

"Shut up, moss head! Don't you dare insult my cooking!" Sanji growled as he attempted to kick Zoro in the head.

Zoro quickly blocked the attack with the hilt of his sword. "Don't test me, love cook."

"What you're going to do, you over-grown barbarian?" Sanji countered.

"That's enough out of both of you!" Nami yelled as she took out her Clima-Tact and knocked both of them upside the head.

She hadn't physically assaulted the boys for acting stupid since she had gotten back. That job had, strangely, mostly fallen to Usopp and Chopper. But they didn't have time for their antics. Their captain needed them.

"So violent," Toby whispered to himself.

"And who are these people?" Dream Nami suddenly asked as she finally acknowledged the Strawhats. She didn't seem to take any notice of the small brawl or their private conversations.

"They're friends of Luffy," Dream Usopp answered.

"And you just blindly believed them?" Dream Nami asked as she glared at each of them. "They could be bounty hunters as far as you know."

"They're not," Dream Usopp insisted.

"And how do you know that?" Dream Nami challenged.

"Because I can sense these kinds of things and I say they're clean," Dream Usopp said firmly.

Usopp admired his other self for being so brave and forth coming around Nami.

"Your senses usually suck," Dream Nami countered. "How have you survived as long as you have is beyond me." She then glanced at the Strawhats again. "Whatever, I'm getting a drink before I leave."

Nami frowned at her counterpart. Did Luffy see her as being this rude? She could barely stand herself. In all honestly, her counterpart deserved to be smacked, although she did bring up some good points. Dream Usopp was being too trusting.

"Cool, I'll take a drink too. It has been awhile since I've been smashed," Dream Usopp said as he went to order.

Usopp was kind of surprised about how fast his counterpart got over Dream Nami's tongue lashing.

"You're paying for your own drink," Dream Nami said bluntly.

Dream Usopp looked horrified by this. "You know I have no money at the moment. Most of it went towards buying the supplies needed for the New World."

Dream Nami paused for a moment and her eyes suddenly became shadowed. "That's okay. I'll just put it on your debt." She then turned towards Usopp and gave him one of the most evil looks that most of the Strawhats had ever seen. Zoro inwardly cringed since he knew that expression all too well. "I believe that bring your total to five-hundred and sixty thousand belli."

"What!" Dream Usopp exclaimed. "How can it be that much! We've only been traveling together for two months."

"Well, given that my monthly rate is two-hundred thousand belli and your food bill, it all adds," Dream Nami said casually.

"You never told me you had a monthly rate," Dream Usopp accused.

Dream Nami rolled her eyes. "Did you really think my services were free or something? Please, you can't be that naive. Besides, you're lucky. I used to charge weekly."

"I thought you wanted to help me find Luffy," Usopp stated.

Nami casually waved her hand. "Finding Luffy is fine and all, but it doesn't pay the bills."

"How the heck am I supposed to pay those prices!" Dream Usopp exclaimed in annoyance.

"If you can't pay, I can just leave you here," Dream Nami said unsympathetically. "Good luck trying to navigate the New World by yourself. I'll give you one week."

Dream Usopp opened and closed his mouth several times before he growled in defeat. "You're one evil lady."

Dream Nami laughed. "At the rate you're going, I will own your first born child by the end of the year. Maybe it's time for Usopp the 'mighty' to find a real job."

"You don't have to be so mean," Dream Usopp muttered.

The rest of the Strawhats watched the exchange in amusement and a little bit of horror.

"Damn, that's cold," Franky muttered.

"I see Luffy got your personality down perfectly," Zoro said dryly.

"Oh come on, I'm not that mean," Nami countered. "I certainly would never leave anyone stranded in the New World or take their first born child."

"That remains to be seen," Zoro muttered.

"What was that, moss head!" Sanji growled as he attempted to kick Zoro again, who blocked the attack with his sword.

"Don't fight here. You'll bring unwanted attention," Toby grumbled. Don't these two ever take a break?

Brook broke away from the group and approached Dream Nami. "My lady, you look absolutely lovely."

Dream Nami turned towards Brook and blushed. "Oh, thank you."

"May I see your panties?" Brook asked her bluntly.

Within seconds, Brook was twitching on the floor from several head injuries. "Jackass, what kind of woman do you think I am!"

"Yep, she's Nami through and through," Brook said.

Nami did laugh at that. Luffy may not understand sexual harassment, but she got her reaction right.

Zoro chose that moment to walk towards the bar and order a drink himself.

"What are you doing, moss head?" Sanji asked.

"If we're going to be here awhile, I getting some booze," Zoro said casually. It has been too long since he had drunk out of pleasure.

Sanji rolled his eyes at him. "You have no money, unless you're going to borrow some from the other Nami-san."

Zoro cringed at the thought. He already owed the real Nami a ton of money and he wasn't going to expand it to her dream counterpart. Even if he didn't have to pay her back once they woke their captain, the thought of it was more than enough to discourage him.

"I can pay for him," Toby said as he rubbed his right eye. "I did create some cash when we came here. Just don't go overboard. I don't want to risk making more."

"I might as well get a drink while I'm here too," Nami said as she sat at the bar with her dream counterpart.

"Hey bartender, give me some soda!" Franky yelled.

Soon everyone had ordered their drinks and began to relax. At least they attempted to until they tried their drinks.

"What the..." Zoro stuttered as he pulled the mug away from his mouth.

"Something wrong?" Chopper asked as he sipped his juice.

"The sake's sweet," Zoro said as he eyed his drink. "I specially asked for it dry."

Robin paused in thought as she held her coffee under her mouth. "Maybe Luffy has only had sweet sake."

Nami also grimace at her drank. "Apparently, Luffy also never had an orange blossom."

"Or coffee," Robin commented as she sipped her coffee. Actually, it did tasted like coffee that has been loaded up with cream and even sugar for some reason. She personally preferred it black, but it was still drinkable.

Zoro groaned. "Can I have some rum?" He at least knew Luffy drunk that. Really, he needed to expand Luffy's alcohol choices once all this was over.

"Shit, and I was in the mood for a Summer Flame too," Sanji sighed. Damn his captain and his lack of fine taste.

"So tell me about yourselves?" Dream Usopp suddenly asked. "How did you guys come to know Luffy?"

"Oh...in my case we met after he saved my village from some vicious pirates," Usopp said before he lowered his head. "I wasn't strong like you to fend them off myself."

Dream Usopp laughed. "Of course you're not. You not Usopp the Adventurer!"

Usopp laughed nervously at the irony of those words.

Each of the Strawhats gave their own summaries on how they met Luffy. Since the history of their counterparts was slightly different, it raised no suspicions between them.

"Amazing, you were attack by fishman pirates as well," Dream Nami said.

Nami's eyes widened. "It happened to you too?"

Dream Nami nodded. "Yeah, when I was off sailing, my village was attacked by a cruel fishman named Arlong. He caused all sorts of trouble and I had to rush back home to stop him. On my way there, I ran into Luffy and his brothers. They, with their small crew, were able to completely crush the Arlong's Pirates with little effort."

Nami bit her lip as she thought of her next question. "Did anyone die under Arlong's rule?"

Dream Nami shook her head. "Not one. We were lucky to get there in time."

"So, your mother is still alive?" Nami asked slowly.

Dream Nami laughed. "Why wouldn't she be? Last I checked, she was safe and happy back on my home island."

Nami allowed a small smile to pass her lips. Luffy was nice enough to save her mother in his dream world. The gesture moved her more than she cared to admit. She almost wished she could return home now just to see Bellmère one last time.

She knew the sentiment, however, was foolish. Bellmère was dead and only a version of what Luffy thought Bellmère was like would be there to greet her. It wouldn't be her mother.

Dream Usopp suddenly took noticed of Zoro's swords. "Hey, you have three swords."

Zoro glanced at him from the side of his eye. "What of it?"

Dream Usopp shrugged. "Nothing, I just know the greatest swordsman in the world uses a three sword style. Are you copying him or something?"

Zoro quickly put down his mug of rum. "The greatest swordsman uses three swords? What's his name?"

"Everyone knows that the greatest swordsman in the world is Roronoa Zoro," Dream Usopp chuckled. "How can you carry a sword and not know that?"

Given what they knew so far, it didn't really surprise him that Luffy had made him achieve his dream in this twisted world. The gesture, however, still touched him. It just showed that even in Luffy's vision of paradise, he thought of the happiness of his crew.

"So, who's the Pirate King?" Sanji asked. "Is it Luffy?"

"No, Luffy isn't the Pirate King," Dream Nami said with a smile. "But he will be one day. He reminds us every time we see him. It's pretty much his catch phrase save for him yelling meat."

Most of the Strawhats chuckled at that. Zoro and Robin on the other hand both gave each other thoughtful looks.

"Well, I better get the ship ready," Dream Nami said as she put down her now empty glass. "Be ready to take off in an hour. If you're not in the eastern harbor on time, we're leaving you behind." With that, she got up and left.

"I better go buy the supplies," Dream Usopp said before he smiled. "Because of my status, I always get the best deals." He laughed as he left the bar.

"Well, that was a little strange," Franky said as he finished drinking his soda. He was kind of disappointed that Luffy had only experienced a few flavors. At least he was able to dream up a bottle big enough to fit into his large hands.

"It would seem that Luffy-san gave us all ideals lives as well," Brook said as he leaned against the bar. "I wonder what kind of life he has imagine for me?"

Sanji looked like he was going for another cigarette, until he remembered how they tasted. "What I find more interesting is that despite giving us everything we dreamed of, none of our dream counterparts are a part of his crew. In fact, it would seem we barely know him in his dream world."

Usopp frowned. "Does that mean Luffy doesn't care for us to be in his crew?" His old insecurities returned in full force.

Zoro shook his head. "I highly doubt it. I'm willing to bet that the reason why our counterparts aren't part of Luffy's crew is because he feels deep inside that if we ever did achieve our dreams, we wouldn't need him anymore."

There was a long pause.

"He can't possibly think that," Nami said. "Does he really believe we all trained for two years just so we can fulfill our own desires?"

"He knows we care for him, I have no doubt of that. Which is why our counterparts know him to some extent," Zoro stated. "But it's also true that none of us would have come as far as we have without Luffy's help. If we could have done it on our own, than we wouldn't have needed Luffy to begin with and he knows that."

Robin closed her eyes. "He would feel secure in the fact that we're living happy and free lives without the burden of pain we carried in our real existence. To Luffy, that would mean more to him than us sailing the seas with him."

Chopper shook his head. "If he feels that way, maybe that's why he accepted this world as real."

Toby, who had remained silent the entire time as he drunk his milk, looked up at the crew. "Is your captain's goal really to become the Pirate King?"

Usopp nodded. "Yeah, it has been his dream since he was a child. He made a promise to the Red-Haired pirate, Shanks."

Toby spit out his milk. "Your captain knows Red-Haired Shanks, one of the Four Emperors!"

"Same one," Usopp said with a smile. "My father is also part of his crew."

Toby shook his head. "Amazing. I would have never pegged such a ragtag group of pirates as friends as one of the Emperors. But it's strange."

Robin looked at the boy. "What is?"

"Your captain desires to be the Pirate King, but even in this ideal world of his creation he hasn't achieved that goal." Toby said.

"So?" Franky questioned.

"That means that as important as being the Pirate King is to him, that wasn't his most desired wish," Toby said as he sipped his milk again. "What could possibly surpass the desire of being the Pirate King?" he asked mostly to himself.

Nami looked away from Toby. She already knew the answer.

Once an hour had passed the rest of the Strawhats headed towards the harbor, per Dream Nami's instructions. When they reached the dock, they saw a fairly large ship with Dream Nami leaning against the rails.

The thing that caught some of the Strawhats' eyes was the fact that Nami's boat had several tangerine trees on the upper deck much like the Going Merry. It was kind of amusing on how well Luffy seemed to know his crew.

"You're actually on time," Dream Nami mused dryly. "Now, we just have to wait for our foolish adventurer."

It was another twenty minutes before Dream Usopp made his dramatic appearance with tales of his exploits at the market. Dream Nami, however, wasn't having any of that. After a lot of yelling and an increase in fee, they were off into the sea.

"Strange, how did my counterpart even get here?" Nami asked as she looked around. "There's no other crewmembers on this ship besides us and it's too much for just two people to run this kind of ship."

"Remember Nami-san, no matter how real this place seems, it is still a dream," Robin stated. "Also, Toby used his powers to led them here as our guides, so some details could be missing."

Nami nodded. She would never get use to this place.

"Okay, all my sources say that Luffy and the others are heading towards this island," Dream Nami said as she took out one of her charts. "If we take the right water way as suggested by the Eternal Pose, we should get there in about two weeks."

"Two weeks!" Chopper asked in shock.

"Hey, it's the best I can do," Dream Nami said in annoyance. "I maybe the best navigator in the world, but I'm not a miracle worker."

Some of the Strawhats glanced at Toby who just shrugged.

Nami got up close to get better look at the sea chart to see if she could find a faster path. She blinked several times when she realized that the sea chart made no kind of sense. It was all gibberish and the islands placement were way off.

Then again, what did Luffy know about maps and charts? To him, he may have seen her maps as nothing more than random gibberish beyond his comprehension, which is why he left the course of the ship mostly up to her.

Nami rubbed her head and sighed. It was going to be a long two weeks.


	11. Snow Day

Luffy looked over the horizon and practically jumped for joy when he saw an island come into sight. It had been weeks since they had touched land, but it hadn't been all bad. These last couple of weeks on the open sea had really given him the chance to know his brothers and the rest of his crew. As he got closer to them, his memories of their past adventures filled his mind. Still, he couldn't' say that they were anywhere near as close as his 'other' crew. But it was coming.

"Island, I see an island!" Luffy yelled excitedly.

Ace took out a telescope to get a better look. "Hmmm, seems to be a winter island."

"Dang, and I was pining for a spring or summer island this time," Sabo said in slight annoyance. "I hate being cold."

Ace chuckled. "At our current rate, we should reach it by day's end."

Luffy jumped down from his look out and landed in front of his brothers. "I have a great idea!"

"Yikes," Sabo said in mock horror, causing Luffy to pout at him.

"My ideas aren't that bad," Luffy whined.

"No, but they do somehow end in property damage, bodily harm to one or all of us, or us fleeing from the island because of angry natives," Ace stated casually with a smile.

Luffy's shoulders slumped. "You're so mean, Ace."

Sabo gently patted Luffy's shoulder. "So, what's your idea?"

Luffy immediately perked up. "We should have snow vacation!" Both Ace and Sabo looked at each other.

"We haven't had one of those in while," Sabo said.

Ace rubbed his chin. "I don't know. We have no kind of information about this island. There could a marine base here as far as we know."

"Like any marine would be this far in the middle of nowhere," Sabo said dryly. "A agree with Luffy on this one. I snow vacation could do us all a world of good. Especially given what has happened recently."

Ace had to agree. It was nice to see Luffy in such high spirits again. Besides, they needed some time away from the ship before they killed each other.

"Lunch's ready!" the chief yelled.

Luffy didn't have to be told twice as he ran straight into the kitchen. Ace and Sabo followed him in a more modest pace.

Dinner wasn't as hectic as it was with the Strawhats, mostly because Luffy didn't feel comfortable enough yet to steal his crewmates' food and stealing from Ace or Sabo would end in bodily damage. He had learned the hard way when he had tried to steal from Ace and ended up with a badly burnt hand for his trouble. Sabo did less damage, but it had still hurt getting that fork stuck in his hand.

That still didn't stop him, however, from inhaling his share of dinner, but he did have a healthy competition from Ace who ate almost as fast and as much as him. That was until, of course, Ace did his usual face plant into his plate. Sabo ate noticeably slower and with far better manners than either of his brothers.

"Ace, are you going to finish eating that?" Luffy asked as he nudged his brother's snoozing body.

"Would you really eat that after Ace got his drool all on it?" Sabo asked as he took a bit of his chicken.

"Hey, you don't waste good food," Luffy countered.

Silk laughed at the statement. "Words of wisdom from your grandfather."

Luffy nodded. "Yeah."

Ace chose that moment to come back to life and looked around for a second. "Did someone say something about eating my food?"

Sabo rolled his eyes. "You woke up for that. God, are you sure you two are not blood related?"

The chief laughed at the brothers' antics. "No fear, there's plenty to go around for everyone."

Silk turned to look at Luffy. "I've heard that there's going to be a snow day when we reach the island."

Luffy smiled gleefully. "Yeah, it will be a lot of fun. Hey, maybe we can even slide down the slopes like we did back home."

"You mean like the time you used me as the sled?" Sabo asked in a deadpan voice.

"But you were such a perfect sled. You had the pot belly and everything," Ace said jokingly, causing everyone in the room to laugh.

"Man, you guys are jerks," Sabo muttered in good humor.

"Hey, it was Luffy who pushed you down the hill and launched you with his powers," Ace defended.

Silk laughed. "Growing up with you two much had been a trip."

"More than you'll ever know," Ace added under his breath.

Luffy leaned back as he watched his brothers interact with their crew. It was hard to believe that over a month ago he had renounced all of them. He felt a pang of guilt at the way he had treated everyone and called them fakes. Now, it was like he always belonged here.

He still, however, thought of his other crew often. It was still hard to believe that everything they had gone through was all just a realistic dream. Dream or not, he still missed them. They were like his second family.

Ace noticed Luffy's change in attitude. "You're thinking of them again," he said just quietly enough so only Luffy could hear him.

Luffy nodded.

Ace's face was completely blank, not betraying any kind of emotion. "Do you still feel this place is a dream?"

Luffy shook his head. "No, it's just that I miss the bond I shared with my other crew. Other than you, Sabo, and maybe Silk, I just don't feel that close to anyone here."

"Well, you don't remember them," Ace said with a slight shrug.

Luffy shook his head. "That's not completely true. I mean, I've been regaining memories of things and can recall some of our adventures. But that connection just isn't there, you know."

Ace nodded. "Just take it one day at a time. Things may seem unreal now, but things will get better."

Luffy smiled. "Thanks, Ace."

Ace suddenly grabbed Luffy and rubbed his knuckles into Luffy's hair. "What's a big brother for."

"Ace, stop that!" Luffy exclaimed as he tried to break out of Ace's hold.

"Yeah, Ace. You should stop before you accidentally set his hair on fire or something," Sabo joked, before he paused. "Never mind, keep rubbing him."

Luffy would have said something if he wasn't trapped in Ace's headlock. Even after all these years, he could never break free once Ace got a hold of him.

"Well, I don't want to catch the ship on fire," Ace said in good nature as he stopped rubbing Luffy's head. "How about I tickle him instead?" He then proceeded to ruthlessly attack Luffy's sides and stomach, sending the younger boy into fit of laughter as he struggled in his brother's grip. "Yeah, this works out much better."

"Dammit Ace, you're evil!" Luffy screamed through his laughter. Ace always knew where his worst spots were and he was an expert at this kind of torture.

Ace just tickled him harder and Sabo laughed at his misery.

Despite the torture, however, Luffy was still enjoying himself. Having his brothers back was more than worth the pain.

* * *

Toby had said that time passed differently in a dream, and the Strawhats were quickly finding out that he wasn't kidding. They had been out on the open sea for over a week and time seemed strangely vague. One minute things seemed to happen slowly and the next, time appeared to just speed up and no one could remember why.

Robin attempted to pass time by reading, but quickly found that her favorite hobby was nearly impossible in this world. The history books that Dream Nami had in her collection made no sense to her or anyone else. The words were all jumbled and random. It did make sense that Luffy would not know the first thing about history, but it was strange that Luffy couldn't think up any kind of comprehension book. She thought that Luffy had at least read a few adventure stories in his time.

She was eventually able to find some readable books after some searching, but they were all stories that Usopp had told Chopper and Luffy during their times before the separation. Apparently, Luffy thought they were novel worthy.

"So, you say that Luffy sails with his brothers?" Nami asked her counterpart.

It took a couple of days for her to gain enough courage to really talk to her counterpart. It was mostly because of how awkward it was to sail under a person who had her face.

Dream Nami nodded. "I don't see how you don't know that. He has two older brothers; Fire Fist Ace and Top Hat Sabo."

Nami blinked. What an odd nickname. "What do you know about Sabo?"

Dream Nami shrugged. "Well, he's much more polite and refined than the other two, especially Luffy. He's also the most reasonable one of the trio. He kind of keeps the other two in line since Ace has a bit of a temper and can fly off the handle, while Luffy is a hyperactive goof ball."

Nami frowned at the information. She had no clue that this second brother even existed until now. Luffy had said in the past that Ace was his one and only brother. Could something have happened to Sabo that caused him to die or abandon Luffy early in his life? It broke her heart to think that her captain could have experienced such a profound lost at a young age.

"Is Luffy close to his brothers?" Nami questioned further.

Dream Nami laughed. "Are you kidding me? Those three are closer than the fingers on my hand. You practically can't see one without one of the brothers being nearby." She then paused briefly in thought. "Although Luffy seems to be the closest with Ace, most likely because Ace is very protective of him. He personally toasted at least half of the Arlong's pirates when Luffy was thrown into their pool."

" _Or because he got to know Ace longer,_ " Nami added solemnly to herself. Maybe she was thinking too much about it, but she had a theory of what was holding this world together and if she was right, they would have to severely hurt Luffy mentally to get him to wake up. She hoped that she was wrong.

"How much do you know of Sabo's history?" Nami asked once she had cleared her head.

Dream Nami shrugged again. "Not much, except he used to be a noble or something of that nature. He's also equal in strength to Ace."

Nami's eyes widened in surprise. "He's that strong?"

"Yeah," Dream Nami nodded. "Believe it or not, but Luffy is actually the runt of the three."

Was Sabo that strong in real life? How did Luffy find these ungodly powerful monsters to call his brothers, especially if Sabo was supposed to be a mere noble?

There were so many mysteries left about Luffy. She kind of felt bad since it was like she was prying. Then again, they had to learn more about Luffy in order to best help him. She hoped Luffy could forgive them for this invasion of privacy once he woke up.

* * *

The ship docked without incident on the island and Luffy, as always, was the first one to run off the ship.

"Dammit Luffy, get back here and put your jacket on!" Ace yelled. "It's minus ten degrees out there!"

Sabo chuckled. "I guess he thinks he's made out of fire like you." There was a hint of envy in his voice since Ace's Devil Fruit allowed him to go shirtless even when there was blizzard.

"Even if his rubber skin gives him some protection against the elements, he can still get frostbite just like everyone else," Ace grumbled.

"Just give it a moment," Sabo said with a toothy smile. "He should be back any minute now."

True to Sabo's words, Luffy began walking back towards the ship with both his arms crossed. "It's cold."

Ace sighed. "I told you," he scolded as he threw down Luffy's jacket, which he gratefully took. "Put some boots on too."

"But I don't like wearing boots," Luffy complained as he put his coat on.

"Fine, but don't complain to me when your toes fall off," Ace said as he crossed his arms.

Sabo chuckled as he jumped off the ship and landed gracefully on a pile snow. He looked around the island, which was filled with high mountains and blanketed with several feet of snow. "From the look of it, this island seems deserted."

"We should still send a search team," Ace said as he glanced at Luffy. "We shouldn't take any chances."

It took Luffy a moment to remember that he was the one in charge of exploring a new island and gathering a team. "Oh, I guess I'll take Silk and Gull."

Ace nodded as he went to get those crewmembers.

"You will have two hours to look around before you are to report your findings," Sabo said as he handed Luffy a baby Transponder Snail. "Return here if you run into any trouble."

Luffy waved his hand dismissively at Sabo's concerns. "I know, I know."

Sabo gave him a serious look. "Are you sure you're okay to do this alone?"

"Of course," Luffy laughed. "You don't have to baby me."

Sabo gave a short sighed before he smiled. "I know, but you have been sick, so I have the right to worry."

"I'm over my illness," Luffy assured just as his team came down from the ship.

"Ready to go, captain," Gull said. He was a big man who was so fat that his jacket couldn't even cover his stomach. He had short black hair that was nearly completely covered by his snow hat. He reminded Luffy very much of Lucky from Shanks' crew.

"Alright, let's go!" Luffy exclaimed as he led his group into the frozen wilderness.

The trip was uneventful save for Luffy jumping on snow hills as they explore. "Wow, this place is empty."

"It's to be expected given how far into the New World we are," Gull said. "The closer we get to the end, the less populated islands we will see."

Luffy gave a huge grin. "Well, this island is perfect for our snow holiday."

Silk rubbed her arms in an effort to warm herself up. "I prefer having holidays in warmer weather, thank you very much."

"But the snow has its own charm," Luffy said with a chuckle.

Besides, it had been years since he just played in snow. Since he had started sailing on the Grand Line, something always happened on every snow island that his crew had gone to. Also when he trained with Rayleigh the snow was always used for their most intense training exercises.

The Transponder Snail began to ring and Luffy quickly answered it. "Yeah."

"Luffy, anything to report?" Ace asked over the line.

"Nothing," Luffy said cheerfully. "Looks like we have this island all to ourselves."

"Well, looks like we finally have a bit of luck," Ace said.

"Oh, we also found the most perfect snow hills," Luffy said excitedly. "You can come and see for yourself."

"Okay Luffy, no need to bust a blood vessel," Ace chuckled. "We'll bring the rest of the crew over to your location." With that, the Transponder Snail fell back to sleep.

Luffy then gave Silk and Gull a mischievous smile. "While we wait, let's have some fun."

"Oh, I've seen that look before," Gull said in mock horror.

"What are you up to now?" Silk asked, not liking that look.

Before either of them knew what happened, Luffy bent down and threw several snowballs at them.

"Snow ball fight!" Luffy exclaimed as he ran away from the two.

"You little brat, get back here!" Gull yelled as he picked up a huge snowball and hurled it at Luffy's back.

It hit the rubbery captain and sent him rolling down one of the snow hills and crash into a rock of ice.

"Luffy!" Silk yelled as she ran towards her friend. This was quickly proven to be a mistake as Luffy shot back up and hit Silk like a machine gun worth of snow balls.

Silk screamed as she was mercilessly pelted. "Dammit Luffy, you tricked me!"

Gull laughed. "Did you forget he's made of rubber, woman? It will take more than a block of ice to slow him down."

Silk glared at Luffy as he laughed at her. At the moment, she looked like a snowman.

"Oh, you're so going to pay," Silk said as she took out her sword and with one swoop she sent a wave of snow at Luffy.

Luffy stopped laughing when he saw the snow heading straight towards him. He didn't have time to turn and run as he buried within several feet of snow. The only visible part of him still sticking out was his hat.

Gull gave booming laugh at the scene. "Nothing like a woman's scorn."

Once Luffy had unburied himself, this game went on for over an hour before Ace and Sabo came marching over the hill. Neither one of them were surprise to see Luffy had engaged in a giant snow war with his crewmates.

"Ace, heads up!" Luffy yelled as he threw a giant snowball at his brother.

Ace didn't even flinch when the snowball hit him. Given the nature of his powers, the snowball instantly melted. Although this was good for Ace, Sabo was hit face first with a wave of streaming hot water.

Sabo screamed in pain as the water burnt his eyes. "Dammit, watch the friendly fire!"

Luffy laughed at the scene. He had forgotten that Ace was fire, but at least he nailed Sabo.

Ace sighed. "You just can't stay out of mischief, can you?"

Sabo jumped over towards Luffy. "I owe you for getting me wet, you little brat!"

Luffy took off in the opposite direct. "Be mad at Ace! He's the one who splashed you!"

After the murder attempt had passed, they went to the business of setting up the snow sleds. In Ace's case, he preferred to use to use a ski board.

"Oh Ace, you're not riding down with me?" Luffy asked disappointedly.

"You can ride with Sabo," Ace said as he jumped on his ski.

Sabo grabbed Luffy and put him at the front of his snow sled. "Let's see who will get to the bottom the faster."

Ace smirked. "You're on. But you're both going to lose."

Luffy returned the smirk. "You're the one who's finally going to lose."

Sabo turned towards Silk, who watching the entire exchange with amusement. "Tell us when to go."

Silk shook her head and smile. "Okay, on your marks."

They all got themselves into position. Sabo sat comfortably at the back of the sled.

"Get set," Silk continued.

Ace leaned forwards and gave one last tilt of his hat towards Sabo and Luffy.

"Go!" Silk yelled.

They both took off down the hill at an amazing speed. Ace quickly took the led as he squat down to cut his air resistance, but Sabo and Luffy were also quickly gaining speed as the hill became steeper.

Luffy laughed loudly as he felt every bump of the sled that caused his stomach to lunge. It was just like the old days.

Sabo pushed forward harder as they finally caught up with Ace. During their decent, they came to cliff at the end of the run. None of them panicked or even seemed worried as they all went over the cliff and flew for several seconds.

Luffy laughed even harder as snow flew into his face. He wasn't sure how the race ended, nor did he care. Even if this was dream, he no longer cared if he ever woke again.

The day ended as quickly as it had begun and they were forced to head back to the ship before the sunset. Even with Ace's powers, it was still too dangerous to be out at night on an unknown island. The hike back to the ship was loud and filled with joyful conversations about today's events.

Luffy had worn himself out to the point that he was practically dead on his feet when they got within sight of ship. He attempted several times to rub the sleep out of his eyes, but he couldn't seem to force himself to stay awake.

Ace took noticed of Luffy's exhausted state and walked over to his little brother. Without a word, he lifted Luffy until he was carrying him piggyback. The gesture got Luffy to shoot awake for a moment.

"Ace, you don't have to..." Luffy said, but his voice was thick with exhaustion.

"Just relax," Ace said steadily. "You can barely stay awake."

Luffy said nothing further as he relaxed against Ace's back. He found Ace to be very warm and comfortable as he allowed himself to be lured to sleep.

His dreamless state was shattered, however, when he saw a vision of fire and magma surrounding him. Luffy looked around to see himself on his knees on a hard broken road and barely able to move. He was actually shaking from what he could only describe as utter exhaustion. His right hand was touching something cold and he looked down to see what it was. He realized that he was staring at Ace's vive card, which was burnt down to the point that it was barely a scrap of paper.

"The son of the Pirate King, Roger, and the son of the Revolutionary Dragon. To imagine that these two have become brothers is a frighten thought," a deep voice growled.

Luffy's hearts froze when he heard that voice. It was a voice that had haunted his deepest dreams for the past two years. To him, not even the devil could strike such fear and hatred within him. He quickly looked up to see Akainu glaring down at Ace who was holding his badly burnt arm. He could clearly see his brother shaking in both anger and pain.

Luffy attempted to stand up several times to help his brother, but his body wouldn't listen to him. It was like several tons of weights were strapped to his limbs. He hadn't felt this exhausted since his battle with the pigeon guy.

"No matter if I let every pirate escape, I won't allow you two to leave here," Akainu said in a matter-of-fact voice as magma ran down his arms. He literally looked like a demon that had risen up from the depths of hell. He then gave Ace a look of utter contempt. "Now watch."

Akainu then jumped away from Ace and ran straight for him. Luffy saw the attack coming, but could do nothing to move away from it. He wasn't frozen in fear or shock, but his body had simply lost the will to move. Luffy felt his heart stop as he realized that he was about to die and it was going to be a fairly gruesome death to boot.

Before the fatal hit came, however, Ace suddenly jumped in front of him. He didn't even know his brother could move that fast, especially given his already injured state. Luffy barely had the chance to blink as his brother's chest erupted as Akainu's fist went clean through him.

"ACE!" Luffy screamed as he shot up from his bed. Tears were running down his face and he shaking badly.

"Luffy, what's wrong?" Sabo asked as he ran towards his brother's side.

Ace also ran into the room when he heard Luffy's screamed. "What happened!"

Sabo looked towards his other brother. "Luffy had a nightmare."

Ace frowned. "Another one?"

Sabo nodded as he rubbed Luffy's back. "It's okay. We're here. You're safe now."

Luffy stopped shaking as the last of the nightmare began to fade. It felt so real. A part of him told him that it wasn't a dream that those events actually did happened. But he looked up to see Ace very much alive staring worriedly at him. There was no fist of molten lava coming out of his chest, nor the gut wrenching smell of burnt skin and blood.

Ace gently knelt down in front of Luffy. "It was the same dream, wasn't it?"

Luffy just nodded.

"Do you want to finally tell us?" Ace asked.

Luffy viciously shook his head.

"Luffy..." Ace started before Sabo shook his head.

"We understand," Sabo said. "Just know that we're here if you need us."

Sabo then gently grabbed Luffy and embraced him in a tight hug. Luffy felt his body slowly relax as Sabo continued to make smoothing sounds under his breath.

After a few more minutes had passed, Luffy was once again beginning to fall to sleep as he listened to Sabo's soft heartbeat. Even so, he kept his eyes on his brothers, as his eyelids grew heavy. He didn't know why he didn't tell his brothers about his nightmares. It was like a part of him was afraid that they would both disappear if he so much whispered anything about his dreams.

He shouldn't be worried. His brothers were here. The events of Marineford never happened and he was living a happy, free life with them. So, why was he being haunted by those terrible false memories?

Before he could ponder those thoughts further, Luffy felt himself easing back into a dreamless sleep. The entire time, he felt the warmth of his brother's around him.


	12. Restaurant

Dream Nami gave a deep sighed as she peered over the side of the ship. "We need a break," she suddenly blurt out.

Everyone looked at her in mild surprise.

"A break?" Dream Usopp asked.

"We've been sailing for over a week now and it still will be some time before we meet up with Luffy and the others," Dream Nami continued. "We need to rest and relax for awhile before we drive each other crazy."

The Strawhats couldn't have agreed more. They were all starting to get a bad case of cabin fever and were beginning to turn on each other. It had been some years since most of the Strawhats had been on the open sea and they needed to regain their sea legs. It also didn't help that they were all anxious to reunite with their captain and who knew how much time had passed outside the dream.

The one good thing was unlike the real New World, Luffy's dream version was always calm and peaceful. To the older Strawhat members it reminded them of their days back in East Blue, where the weather made sense.

"We're in the middle of the New World with no islands nearby," Dream Usopp said dismissively. "Where exactly are we supposed to rest at?"

Dream Nami gave a cocky smile. "I've already plotted our course. There's a restaurant near here."

This got everyone's attention.

"A restaurant on these seas, who would be that crazy!" Dream Usopp exclaimed in disbelief.

"For any normal person it would be suicidal, to put it mildly," Dream Nami said. "But the person who runs this restaurant isn't normal. We're going to the restaurant own by the wonder chief himself."

Dream Usopp's eyes widened for a moment. "Of course. I've forgotten All Blue was near here."

Sanji's head shot up in attention. "All Blue?"

Dream Usopp nodded. "The mystical sea that no one believed existed. A couple years ago, however, a great chief set off into these seas in search of it and actually found it. Now, he runs the greatest restaurant in the world where even kings dine."

Without even saying his name, Sanji knew they were talking about him. He had to keep himself from smiling at Luffy's ideal dream for him. Although he would never be crazy enough to open anything in the New World. What good was it serving dead customers?

"We should be there in a couple of hours," Dream Nami said as she looked at her chart. "I can't wait to have good food again."

Sanji was immediately heart broken by the statements. "Nami-swan, you haven't liked my cooking?"

Dream Nami side-eyed Sanji. "It's alright, but you're no wonder cook."

Sanji looked like he was shot through the heart and began to wallow in the floor.

Franky shook his head. "Cold."

"As mean as it sounds, I agree," Usopp said among his crewmates. "Sanji's cooking seems to be lacking in this world."

"Tastes like the same crap to me," Zoro remarked off-handedly.

"I assume your captain doesn't cook so he wouldn't understand the detail of your chief's cooking. He most likely guessed how the food is supposed to taste," Toby surmised.

"Seems like Luffy's dream really hates Sanji," Usopp observed.

Between the cigarettes and the cooking, things had been hard on Sanji since they've been here. Thankfully, Sanji had no withdrawal symptoms despite going a week without his nicotine. Sanji tended to become a horror if he went only a couple hours without smoking.

"Dreams are built on experience," Toby said. "That is something even I can't change."

"The love cook needed to be humbled," Zoro said dully as he gave a loud yawn. It was a little strange napping in a dream, but it seemed to work well to pass the time. "He was becoming too full of himself."

Nami sighed, thankful that Sanji was too absorbed in self-pity to hear Zoro. Regardless, her counterpart was right and she looked forward to the breather.

It was two hours later that they finally arrived at their destination. The Strawhats were taken aback by how huge the restaurant was. It had to be at least the size of a galleon. It also looked like the Baratie except instead of a giant fish's head as its figurehead, it was a woman's face, which was painted with long blond-hair. It looked kind of like a mermaid.

"Yep, this is your style, love cook," Zoro said dryly.

Sanji snorted. "I'm not that tacky."

"I beg to differ," Zoro said.

"What was that, moss head!" Sanji growled.

"Don't start," Nami warned the two.

"This is a very interesting style," Robin said with an air of amusement. "I wonder what made Luffy believe that Sanji would do something like this if he had a restaurant."

"Knowing how simple-minded Luffy can be, he most likely thought that since Sanji loves women, he would put that as the forefront of anything he does," Franky commented with a small chuckle.

Brook laughed heartily. "That sounds about right."

Dream Nami carefully docked the ship among the other passenger's boats in the harbor. It looked like this place was very popular since there was barely enough room to dock.

"Have to admit, this place does remind me of the Baratie," Sanji said with a small smile.

He suddenly felt a longing to return there and see how the old geezer and the rest of those bums were doing. He hoped those crappy cooks didn't run the restaurant into the ground with their shitty cooking. He really needed to write to Zeff again.

"Man, I can smell the food from here," Dream Usopp said with his mouth watered.

"So I guess save for Usopp, the rest of you will be paying dutch," Dream Nami stated.

"How expensive is this place?" Chopper asked.

"This is the greatest restaurant in the world, so of course it will be very expensive," Dream Nami remarked casually. "If you can't pay, you can stay here and have the remaining sandwiches from lunch or something."

"You're so caring," Usopp muttered under his breath.

Zoro looked towards Toby. "I hope you can afford this place."

Toby gave a long sigh. "Looks like I have to create more money."

With the details ironed out, the group made their way into the restaurant. A large dining room full of people greeted them as well as the strong aroma of food. Even Zoro felt his mouth watering, although he would never tell Sanji that.

The dining room itself was a wonder to look at with its tall ceilings, crystal cylinders, and portraits that covered some of the walls. It was obvious that this place was high end and the Strawhats briefly wondered how Luffy had come up with this idea.

"Good afternoon, how may I help you today?" a pretty young hostess asked.

"You can help me any time, my lady," Sanji swooned as he took the hostess' hand.

The hostess giggled shyly. "Oh, you're quite the charmer."

"Wow, Sanji didn't get turned down," Usopp said in surprise.

"This place is run by his counterpart, who is just as sick as him," Zoro said.

"If you don't mind, can you give these beautiful ladies a nice window view so they can fully see the sea?" Sanji said. "Oh, and you can give the crappy seats to the rest."

"You jerk," Dream Usopp muttered.

The hostess smiled. "I can get you all a good window view if you like."

"Can I get a seat next to the ladies?" Sanji asked hopefully.

"I don't want to sit next to you," Dream Nami said bluntly.

This quickly sent Sanji sulking into a corner.

"That was kind cold," Usopp whispered.

"Nami's so mean," Chopper agreed.

"My heart goes out to you Sanji-kun, if I had one anyway," Brook said as he laughed at his skull joke.

Nami shook her head. She was never this rude.

Zoro had to keep himself from laughing.

"It's okay, Sanji," Robin said kindly. "I'll gladly sit next to you."

Sanji immediately perked up. "It would be my honor, Robin-chwan."

"You sure cheered up fast," Dream Usopp said in mild annoyance.

Toby rubbed his forehead. This entire crew was crazy.

"Please follow me," the hostess said as, not taking any notice of the craziness.

She led the group to their table, which was next to biggest window in the restaurant. It also had a wonderful view of the passing ships and the open ocean. It was indeed a sight.

"Please relax until your waitress arrives to take your orders," the hostess said before she gave a short bow. "I hope you all have a wonderful time here." She then returned to the front of the restaurant.

"This place is so pretty," Chopper said as he looked at the menu.

"It's nothing special," Zoro remarked as he leaned into his chair.

"Jealous, moss head?" Sanji questioned mockingly. "Green does suite you, after all."

Zoro rolled his eye. "You wish, love cook."

"These prices are higher than I thought," Dream Nami said in annoyance. "This will put a dent in my budget."

"You got the money," Dream Usopp stated dryly.

Dream Nami glared at him. "That isn't the point."

"Why don't you admit you're just greedy?" Dream Usopp bluntly said.

"Don't call Nami greedy, shit head!" Sanji exclaimed.

Dream Usopp glared at Sanji. "What's it to you? You've known her for barely a week."

Usopp's respect for his counterpart went up even more. He could never speak to Sanji like that without fear of having his ribs broken.

"No one should talk about a woman like that. Especially a beautiful angel like Nami-swan," Sanji said.

"If Nami's an angel, what's your idea of a demon?" Usopp asked as he leaned into his hand.

There was a long pause as some of the Strawhats attempted to hold their snickers. The real Nami was not amused by Dream Usopp's comment.

"How dare you call Nami-swan a demon!" Sanji yelled as he stood up.

Dream Usopp followed shortly behind him. "Hey, we can take this outside."

"Hey, calm down you two," Franky said as he looked around the restaurant. The people were beginning to stare at them. "You're getting too much attention."

The two hardly paid him any mind.

"I'll happily take you on in Nami-swan's honor," Sanji growled.

"Fine by me," Dream Usopp countered.

"Really, this is a little much," Dream Nami said as she looked between the two men.

"Seriously," Nami agreed with her counterpart.

Zoro looked on in interest, curious to know who would win this fight.

Before things could escalate any further, Sanji and Dream Usopp were suddenly kicked in the stomachs, which sent them flying into the wall.

"Shit heads, don't fight in my restaurant," a tall man with a dark black suit and a red shirt said. He had a lit cigarette in his mouth and bangs so long that it completely covered his left eye. The swirl of his eyebrow, however, could be clearly seen. "If you continue, I will personally kick you both out."

Zoro stared at his rival's counterpart. He looked largely the same, down to the cigarette.

Dream Sanji then turned his attention towards Robin, Nami, and Dream Nami. "I'm sorry for all the trouble, ladies. Rest assured that I won't tolerate this kind of behavior here."

"You're too kind, Cook-san," Robin said with a small smile.

"Since I'm here, can I take any of you beautiful ladies' orders?" Dream Sanji asked kindly. "May I recommend the house's special? It is made by me personally."

"Yes, I'll take that with a bottle of white wine," Dream Nami said as she closed her menu.

Nami looked up in surprise. How did Luffy know she liked white wine? Did he actually pay attention when they ate out?

"And what do you want, my beauty?" Dream Sanji asked the real Nami.

Nami quickly cleared her head. "I'll have the same as her."

"I'll take a number four with coffee please," Robin said.

Sanji nodded. "Very good. I'll bring your orders out right away."

"Aren't you going to take our orders?" Chopper asked.

Sanji gave Chopper a cold stare. "I don't take men's orders, I only serve the ladies. You guys can wait for your waitress."

"I see you're the same," Zoro said. Luffy got Sanji's personality perfectly.

Dream Sanji stared at Zoro for a moment. "I don't know who you are, but there's something about you I really don't like."

"Really?" Zoro said with a slight grin.

"You better behave yourself, Cyclops, I know a barbarian when I see one," Dream Sanji said as he pointed his cigarette at him. "One wrong move and you're out of here."

Zoro was about to make a smart remark before Nami elbowed him hard in the ribs. He glared at the red-hair in annoyance, who only shook her head.

"I will right back, my beauties," Dream Sanji said as he went off to fulfill their orders.

"Sheesh, who would have thought a restaurant owner could be so violent and strong," Dream Usopp muttered as he got back in his seat.

"This is the New World, so of course he would be strong," Dream Nami said.

Sanji rubbed his sore stomach as he too sat back down. He hadn't been kicked that hard since he left the Baratie. One thing for sure, Luffy sure didn't undermine his strength. He guessed he should be honored.

"Almost poetic justice, huh curly brow?" Zoro asked in humor.

"Save it, shitty swordsman," Sanji growled.

Within another ten minutes, their waitress came and took the men's orders. In that same time span, Dream Sanji returned with the women's orders.

"Here you go, my lovely ladies," Sanji said with a smile. "I also did a little something extra in all of your meals. I hope you enjoy."

"Thank you, Sanji-kun," Nami said cheerfully, causing the real Sanji to become jealous that she would use his special nickname for his counterpart.

"No need for thanks, it is my honor," Sanji said as he gave a short bow and went back to his other duties.

"Is it just me or does this version of Sanji seem more charming?" Brook asked.

"Yeah, he's much more of a gentleman than our Sanji who just acts like a pervert," Franky said.

"Now that I think about it, he acts like Sanji when we met him at the Baratie," Usopp observed.

"I haven't changed that much since then," Sanji countered.

A part of him, however, knew that wasn't true. He had changed in how he approached women. He was much more straightforward and tended to let his emotions get the best of him. This was partly because he was free from the confines of the restaurant and Zeff so he could fully express himself to women with no remorse or property damage.

The problem was, however, that he tended to come across as too blunt and ended up scaring the women. His years on the Kamabakka Kingdom hadn't helped in that regard either.

It was only now that he fully saw how much he had changed and how he was much more successful when he was subtler and showed his chivalrous side more. Had Luffy recognized this and that was why his counterpart acted the way he did?

The doors of the restaurant suddenly burst open and a lone figure stood at the door. For a moment, no one paid him too much attention, thinking he was just another customer.

As he stepped into the place, however, that all changed. It took only one person to notice that the man was carrying three swords on his side and only one person in the world used a three-sword style. One could think he was only an imposer or a person who wanted to mimic the sword style, however his appearance gave his identity away. The most telling feature was his light green hair.

"Isn't that Roronoa Zoro?" one of the customers whispered.

The other person nodded. "It is. Only the greatest swordsman in the world has three-swords and green hair."

Zoro, with his increased senses, looked at his counterpart curiously. He looked exactly like him, save for the fact that he still had both eyes. Even the way he walked and carried his swords were the exactly like him.

"How may I help you, sir?" the hostess asked the swordsman. Even she seemed a little unnerved.

"Hungry. I need food," Dream Zoro said simply.

Sanji had to keep himself from snickering. Luffy had a perfect grasp on Zoro's speech. After the humbling experience with his own counterpart, it was nice to see Zoro was about to suffer.

Dream Nami turn away from her food to look at the new arrival. "Roronoa, I didn't expect to see you in these waters. Did you come here on your own will or did you get lost again?"

Zoro looked at Dream Nami in surprise. Nami had never called him by just his last name, even before they became crewmates. In fact, only Mihawk has ever purely called him Roronoa.

Dream Zoro glanced at Dream Nami. "Great, I had to run into witch of the east here."

"You still owe me money," Dream Nami continued without missing a beat. "You haven't paid me a belli for my services and your interest is rising."

"I'll pay you eventually," Dream Zoro grumbled.

"You said that three years ago," Dream Nami said in annoyance. "Don't forget that without me you would have never made it into the Grand Line and became the greatest swordsman. You owe me."

"Dammit woman, leave me alone," Dream Zoro growled. "I'll pay you when I pay you!" He then suddenly collapsed to the floor.

"Sir, are you okay!" the hostess exclaimed as she ran towards Zoro's side.

Chopper immediately went into his doctor mode and rushed towards the fallen swordsman.

"What happened?" Brook asked in confusion as he stood up.

The Strawhats finally took noticed that Dream Zoro didn't look well. He was pale and he was skinner than usual. His eyes were also sunken and had dark bags.

Sanji knew all too well what he was suffering from and his heart went out to his rival's counterpart.

"Hungry..." Dream Zoro muttered.

"When was the last time you've eaten?" Chopper asked as he checked the swordsman's vitals.

Dream Zoro paused in thought. "One...maybe two weeks ago..."

"You went two weeks without eating!" Chopper exclaimed in shock and horror.

"I was sailing to someplace called Shito Island and got lost," Zoro said slowly. "I must have ran into some kind of dead sea since I couldn't find any fish to eat."

"You idiot!" Dream Nami yelled. "Shito Island is ten days in the other direction. How did you get so far off course!"

Dream Zoro looked confused. "What, Shito Island is to the west, right?"

"It is, but this is the east, moron," Dream Nami said with her arms crossed. "It shouldn't even be physically possible for you to get here given the sea currents in this area. How did you manage to bend the laws of physics?"

Sanji finally gave in and laughed. "Damn moss head, Luffy really got your personality."

"I would never get lost like that," Zoro said, trying to hide his embarrassment.

"We both know that's a lie," Sanji countered with a smirk.

Zoro chose not to say anything and save the remainder of his dignity.

"This man needs food!" Chopper yelled.

The hostess looked down at Zoro. "Excuse me sir, can you pay?"

"Does it look like I can pay?" Dream Zoro asked in mild annoyance.

"Forget asking him for money. He's dead broke," Dream Nami said dryly.

Dream Usopp shook his head. "I never expected the greatest swordsman in the world to be so air-headed."

Zoro wasn't sure how to feel about the entire situation. Did Luffy really view him as some kind high skilled swordsman who was also a buffoon? Then again, almost all of their dream counterparts have been exaggerations of their overall personalities. Luffy did tend to over blow other people's quirks for his own amusement. Impersonating his crew was one of his favorite past times.

"I could pay for your bill," Dream Nami said with a dark gleam in her eyes. "I'll just add it to your debt."

"Forget it!" Dream Zoro yelled. "I'll starve to death before I owe you another belli!"

Dream Nami lost her gleam. "Fool, do you know how painful it is to starve?"

"I'll take my chances," Dream Zoro said stubbornly.

Sanji had enough of this and stood up from his table. Dream or not, he wasn't about to let moss head starve his stupid self.

"What's going on?" Dream Sanji asked as he stepped out of the kitchen.

"Mister Sanji, this man came in and can't pay," the hostess said.

"I'm paying for his meal. Whether he likes it or not," Dream Nami said harshly.

Zoro, however, could tell by the tone of her voice that she was deeply worried. She maybe a greedy little witch, but she did care about his counterpart. It would seem even he underestimated how well Luffy could read his crew.

Dream Sanji blew out some smoke. "That won't be necessary. Give him a table and I'll get the food ready."

"Sir?" the hostess questioned in surprise.

"You know our policy here," Dream Sanji said firmly as he looked at Zoro. "No one leaves here hungry, regardless of money."

Dream Zoro looked up towards the cook. "I don't want your charity."

"Get over yourself, this isn't charity you shitty ball of moss," Dream Sanji scolded. "It's against my code to allow anyone to starve. No matter who they may be."

"You..." Dream Zoro started.

"Even if I have to stuff the food down your throat, you aren't leaving here until you eat, got it," Dream Sanji said in a voice that left no room for argument.

Dream Zoro glared at the chief for a moment longer before he sighed in defeat. "You won't get thanks from me."

"Whatever," Dream Sanji said as he turned his attention back towards the hostess. "Please give him a table."

"Yes, sir." the hostess said as she lifted Zoro's by his shoulders and carried him to a nearby table.

Chopper made his way back towards his crew, knowing that Dream Zoro was in good hands.

"You were always a prideful bag of crap," Sanji said after witnessing the scene. He felt proud and touched that Luffy captured that aspect of his personality. That was exactly how he would have reacted in that situation.

"Yeah, but you were always a pain in the butt," Zoro said, although it lacked any venom.

He always knew that despite all their fights that when it really counted Sanji would be there for him. Seeing this situation play out only reinforced that fact. He was also impressed that Sanji went so out of his way to help his counterpart even though they were strangers in this world.

"That was really nice of Sanji," Dream Usopp suddenly said. "I guess he isn't such a jackass after all."

Brook nodded. "Sanji-kun is a good and honorable person."

"That remains to be seen," Zoro said automatically.

"Sorry for the long wait," the waitress said as she returned to the table with several hot plates. "But here's your food."

The Strawhats fully relaxed and enjoyed their meal. After over an hour had passed and most of the food was gone, Dream Zoro approached their table. He looked much better than earlier and had color back on his cheeks.

"May I help you, Roronoa?" Dream Nami asked bluntly, although she sounded a little nicer than earlier.

"You shouldn't be walking," Chopper scolded. "You're still suffering from the effects of starvation and malnutrition."

"I'm not leaving," Dream Zoro said curtly. "The bastard cook offered me residence until I'm back at full strength. I'm not so reckless to wonder the New World in my current state."

"So, you do have some common sense," Sanji teased.

Nami kicked Sanji's seat in responded. He didn't need to be picking a fight with Dream Zoro.

Dream Zoro glared at Sanji for a moment. "I don't know who you are, but there's something about you I don't like."

Sanji just smirked at the swordsman.

"Anyway, I came over to ask you what you're doing here," Dream Zoro said. "It isn't like you to be this far into the New World. Find a new treasure map or something?"

Dream Usopp finished his drink. "We're going to see Luffy."

"Luffy, you're off to see that brat?" Dream Zoro questioned.

Zoro blinked at his counterpart's words. Why would Luffy think he would call him a brat? He had never used that word, despite his captain's moronic moments. His tone also sounded generally disrespectful. He would have never even tolerated that tone with his crewmates.

"Yeah, and we're just taking a break," Dream Nami said as she pushed her hair back.

"You know Luffy?" Dream Usopp asked.

Dream Zoro shrugged. "We met one time in passing. However, I owe the boy my life."

"Really?" Dream Usopp questioned with interest.

"Back in East Blue, Luffy saved me from a marine brat and his crazy father," Zoro said.

"I guess even the greatest swordsman needs help at times too," Dream Usopp said with a light smile.

"So, you've met Luffy only once?" Zoro asked his counterpart. He was growing more curious on how Luffy viewed him.

Dream Zoro nodded. "Yeah and it was a couple years ago. Regardless, I don't take my debts lightly and I haven't repaid Luffy for what he has done for me."

"Did he ask you to join his crew?" Brook asked.

"He did, but I refused," Dream Zoro said in a bored tone. "Debt or no debt, my dream comes first and Luffy as he was in East Blue would have been a burden to me."

Zoro flinched at his counterpart's choice of words. Did Luffy really believe he was a burden to him back in East Blue? Granted, he was more infamous than Luffy around that time and Luffy was even more immature, but he had never once considered him a burden. In fact, he knew there was something special about his captain when he first laid eyes on him.

Perhaps in his captain's vision Luffy thought he really didn't need him to achieve his goal. Did Luffy still feel that way now? When this was over, he really needed to talk to Luffy about this.

"Do you want to come with us?" Dream Nami suddenly asked.

"Why, so you can charge me rent?" Dream Zoro asked in suspicion.

"You think so badly of me," Dream Nami said in a sweet voice.

Dream Zoro stared at Dream Nami for a second. "No, I'll meet Luffy again in my own time."

"Whatever," Dream Nami shrugged. "You still owe me money regardless."

Dream Zoro muttered something under his breath as he turned away from them. "Take care. It's dangerous out there."

"So, you do care," Dream Nami teased.

Dream Zoro snorted as he walked away.

"Charming person," Dream Usopp coyly said.

"You have no idea," Dream Nami said as she went back to her meal.

It was still odd to the Strawhats seeing their counterparts' interact with each other and how different they were in Luffy's version of them. Some was quite revealing on how Luffy viewed them and they felt they were invading their captain's privacy.

Toby more or less silently observed everything and reached the conclusion that this was a complex and strange crew. But one hardly needed to invade someone's dream to come to that conclusion.


	13. Meeting Again

The rest of the trip across the dreamscape seemed to drag on forever, especially when the temperature began to steadily drop. Luckily, Dream Nami had coats to spare for everyone, which strangely fit everyone perfectly.

"So, he went to a winter island," Usopp noted as he saw snow beginning to fall.

Dream Nami nodded. "I've heard they were heading in this direction and this is the only non-hostile island in the area."

"This isn't surprising given how much Luffy loves snow," Zoro said with small smile. The island itself was indeed a sight with its high mountain peaks and snow that sparkled in the sunlight. It reminded Zoro of a snow globe.

Chopper began to smile as well. "This is the first time I've seen snow in over two years. The island I was on was always warm. It reminds me of home."

"Which side of the island do you think they docked at?" Dream Usopp asked.

Dream Nami shrugged. "Who knows?"

Nami didn't care too much for her counterpart's indifference.

"I'm picking up a high heat source about three-hundred yards away," Franky said as he adjusted his glasses.

"How do you know that?" Dream Usopp asked.

"It's a gift," Franky answered with a huge grin.

Dream Nami steered the ship towards the area. "So, you can be useful. I would have never guessed."

"That's kind of mean, sis," Franky said with mock hurt.

"Excuse me, but all you have been doing for this last week is complaining about not being able to maintain the ship," Dream Nami scowled.

Franky grumbled something under his breath.

"You call yourself a shipwright, but I imagine anything you build to be an impractical, mechanical monstrously," Nami said.

"Hey, I take offense at that," Franky said with some heat as he folded his arms. "Nothing I build is impractical."

Dream Usopp shook his head in frustration. "Can you two cool it for once. You've been at each other throats for the last couple of days."

Once everything had settled it took another ten minutes before the small group came upon a huge pirate ship.

"A Brigantine," Nami said, deeply impressed.

Franky gave a loud whistle. "Luffy has good taste in ships. But I didn't think he would know about the different ship types."

"He doesn't," Zoro answered in a deadpan voice.

"It's most likely a copy of a ship design he liked," Toby answered softly so Dream Nami and Usopp wouldn't hear.

Sanji looked up at the flag. "What's up with the pirate mark?"

"It seems to be a combination of three different designs," Robin answered. She recognized one of them as the mark of the old Spade Pirates, but she didn't know what the third symbol was inspired from. It actually seemed kind of crude compare to the others.

Before they could get too close, several shots rang out. Everyone immediately was on guard.

"Crap, they're shooting at us!" Usopp exclaimed.

"It's to be expected," Dream Nami said calmly. "We are an unknown ship."

"Who goes there!" one of the pirates yelled. "We won't miss next time!"

Dream Usopp stepped up to the front. "Calm yourselves. We're friends of one of your captains."

"Friends?" one of them questioned before they got a good look at Dream Usopp. "Oh, it's just Usopp."

Dream Usopp deflated when he heard their indifference. "Hey, I'm the great adventure, Usopp the mighty! Show some respect!"

Dream Nami casually hit Usopp on his chest. "Get over it."

Usopp shook his head. Even in Luffy's dream he still gets little respect.

"Well, we certainly didn't expect visitors way out here," one of the pirates said. "Have you come to see Luffy?"

Dream Nami nodded. "Yeah, so can you drop a ladder already before we freeze to death!"

They did what they were told and a ladder was soon dispatched for them. It didn't take them long to tie the smaller ship up and climb onboard.

The Strawhats were kind of surprised by how empty the ship was given its size. There only seemed to be a hand full of people on deck.

"Your timing couldn't have been more perfect," one of the pirates said. "Captain Luffy is in need of some cheering up after that whole incident with that Belle Rêve."

Dream Nami frowned. "Has he regained any of his memory?"

"Parts here and there, but nothing complete," the pirate said solemnly. "That fish really did a number on him."

While they were talking, Chopper turned towards Toby. "Luffy has memories of this place?"

"Since this is his dream anything he thinks of pretty much becomes true," Toby explained in a low voice. "If he thinks he remembers something, the dream will adapt itself to his thoughts. Even if it contradicts something that he knows isn't true."

"If it contradicts something, shouldn't Luffy know it isn't real?" Brook asked.

"When you dream, do you think about how strange or unusual something appears or do you just accept it as fact at that moment?" Toby asked, although it was more of a statement.

Brook didn't have to answer. He knew by all the times he had dreamed or even hallucinated about his long dead crew that he didn't question reality in those moments.

Dream Usopp looked around for a moment. "Where's Luffy anyway?"

The pirate began to laugh. "I guess you wouldn't know. It's a snow holiday."

Dream Nami blinked. "Since when?"

"Since Luffy said so about four days ago," the pirate laughed.

The Strawhats chuckled at the information. Yes, that was Luffy.

Dream Nami sighed. "Great..."

"You've been on a holiday for four days?" Usopp questioned.

"Pretty much," the pirate said. "Neither Captain Sabo or Ace has the heart to end the holiday until Luffy gives the order. They've both kind of spoiled him since he became sick."

"Can you tell us where he is?" Chopper asked.

The pirate looked at him for a moment. "I see no harm in taking you to him."

"I can wait here," Dream Nami said. "It's too cold to be wondering around."

Dream Usopp nodded. "Yeah, I think I just chill here too."

Brook laughed. "Nice pun, Usopp."

Dream Usopp gave Brook an odd look. Apparently, he didn't get the joke.

"Well, I'm going," Zoro said with no hesitation. Even though he knew Luffy was in no physical danger, he was still anxious to see him. Especially with his last image of his captain being laid up in the infirmary.

The pirate sighed. "Fine, follow me."

The Strawhats and Toby followed closely behind the pirate as he led them deep within the island. The calm silence of the snow was slowly shattered by the noise of laugher and talking in the distance. They'd even begun to notice that the snow had all but stopped and it was actually a little warmer.

When they got close enough, they saw several people actually playing in the snow. It was a little strange seeing grown, hardened looking men throwing snowballs like kids, but given where they were at, they really shouldn't be surprising.

"Man, these people can't build snowmen," Usopp commented when he saw the deformed and ugly looking snowmen that littered their pathway.

"This is definitely Luffy's fantasy land," Nami mumbled, but she had to keep herself from smiling.

"Dammit, where the captains at?" the pirate asked himself in mild annoyance as they continued to walk through the snowfield, dodging several rogue snowballs. "Are they racing downhill again?"

After several minutes of searching, they came into an open field where a lone man could be seen.

"Captain Sabo!" the pirate yelled as he walked over to his captain.

Now that they were closer the Strawhats could clearly see that the man was blond and was holding a stopwatch in his hand. Several loud sounds could also be heard in the background and it sounded like there was some kind of battle.

At that moment, the man looked up when he saw his crewmate walking towards him. "Gull, what are you doing here?" Sabo asked.

"I brought some friends of Luffy. They came all the way here to see him," Gull answered.

Sabo glanced over at the Strawhat crew with a critical eye. "Really, how did they find us?"

"Nami led them to us," Gull said.

Sabo nodded and smiled. "Okay then. If they're with Nami, they're cool."

It amazed the real Nami how much faith they had in her counterpart despite not really knowing her. Then again, it could be a reflection of Luffy's trust in her.

Gull looked around for a moment. "Where's Luffy anyway?"

Sabo looked back at the field. "Training."

Zoro raised an eyebrow at the statement. Besides their two years apart, Luffy had never trained. Even on rare occasions when he had invited Luffy to spar with him, he usually complained about it being boring and ran off to play with Usopp or Chopper.

"Oh, what's the score?" Gull asked.

"For Luffy, he has so far kept his perfect record of zero wins," Sabo said neutrally.

"Huh, Luffy never won against you?" Franky asked in disbelief.

"Nope," Sabo said with a wide smile.

Nami recalled Luffy saying that he had never once beaten Ace even before he had gotten his Devil Fruit. If Sabo was equal to Ace in strength, it made perfect sense to why Luffy never won.

Suddenly, Luffy came flying towards them and crashed painfully into the snow bank. Sabo looked down to see his brother with swirls in his eyes and his tongue slightly hanging out of his mouth.

"Lost again, huh Luffy," Sabo said as he pressed a button on his watch. "Well, this was your best time yet. You lasted over five minutes this time."

Luffy slowly regained his bearings. "No...no fair."

"Hey, I didn't even use my powers," Ace said with amusement. "Not my fault you dropped your guard at the wrong time. I thought you would be a little better predicting my movements once you learned to use Haki, but I guess you were just born to be second best."

Luffy quickly stood up once his senses had returned. "I demand a rematch."

"Sorry, but I'm at the one-hundred match limit for today," Ace said casually with a slight shrug. "You have to fight Sabo. I believe he has one more match."

Luffy muttered something under his breath.

"Keep time for me," Sabo said as he tossed the stopwatch at Ace, who easily caught it.

Luffy and Sabo then both walked into the battlefield and stared at each other as they waited for Ace to start the match.

"Looks like we came just in time," Sanji said. He was curious to see what Luffy's other brother could do.

"Okay, match starts...now!" Ace announced as he pressed the stopwatch.

Luffy immediately charged Sabo. He used Gear Second in his legs to greatly increase his speed and shot his arm back. "Gum Gum Pistol!"

Sabo quickly dodged the nearly invisible punch and kicked Luffy hard in the face when he got within range. Luffy used this to his advantage and allowed his head to fly back. "Gum Gum Bell!" For good measure, he used his Haki to armor his forehead.

The attack was fast, but Sabo evaded it with ease. "Did you forget that your neck is your most vulnerable spot?" he questioned as he teasing poked Luffy in the middle of his neck several times.

Luffy lost his bearings as his head snapped back into place. He rolled away from his older brother, giggling the entire time. The attack tickled.

Sabo then moved in and kicked Luffy like a soccer ball into the air. Luffy spun around in mid-air before he stretched both his arms behind his back. "Gum Gum Jet Bazooka!"

Sabo gave a toothy grin as he took out his staff and slammed it into the ground. When Luffy released his attack, Sabo surprised him by catching his arms in mid attack. Before Luffy could react, Sabo had successfully tied his arms to his pole.

Luffy's eyes widened in horror as he felt his arms begin to snap back into place. There was nothing he could do to stop it. He flew right into Sabo who then elbowed him downward into the snow. The attack was so fierce that if he weren't made out of rubber Luffy's entire lower jaw would have shattered on impact. Nonetheless, it still hurt and he was lucky that he didn't bit his tongue off.

Although he could only really blame himself for being so careless, he should have known what was coming. Both Ace and Sabo, however, were experts in suppressing their thoughts, making them nearly impossible to predict. He really needed to work on his Observation Haki more.

"You won again, Sabo," Ace said as he pressed the button on the stopwatch. "You still took longer than me," he teased as he walked into the training field.

Sabo shrugged. "I was in no hurry." He then began to carefully untie Luffy's arms from his staff.

"He beat Luffy so effortlessly," Usopp said in awe. "Not only that, but he actually used Luffy's own powers against him."

"I never realized Luffy left himself so open," Sanji lamented. Luffy was so quick in his attacks, even without his Gears, that it was hard to see his vulnerable moments. Him now being able to predict most attacks didn't help matters.

Zoro, on the other hand, already knew Luffy's biggest weakness with his powers was the fact he left himself open the moment his was stretched to his limit. Luffy covered this vulnerable, however, by using his ungodly fast reflexes to avoid damage. He suspected that the reason why Ace and Sabo were able to pick up on those moments so well was because they were the ones who helped develop Luffy's fighting style.

Luffy painfully picked himself off the ground as he rubbed his sore chin. "Dammit, I lost again."

Ace smirked at his baby brother. "As I said, second born, second place."

Sabo gave Luffy a comforting smile as he patted his brother's back. "Well, you've come a long way from you Gum Gum Epic Fails when you used to hit yourself. You also did much better than yesterday."

Luffy glared at Sabo. Sometimes his encouragements came off like he was mocking him. "I'll beat you both someday."

Ace grabbed Luffy from around his neck and roughly ruffled his hair. "Keep dreaming. The day you beat me will be the same day I become the King of Alabasta."

Sabo laughed at the comment. "Well, you did have a crush on Vivi. Do you still write her letters?"

"Shut up!" Ace yelled, but he never stopped teasing Luffy who just couldn't break his brother's grip.

The Strawhats watched the interaction with interest, amusement, and a little bit of sadness.

"So, those are Luffy brothers," Brook said somberly. Even he could feel the closeness from the trio.

Usopp nodded, remembering the newspaper that displayed Ace's dead body on the front cover. It was strange to see someone who had been dead for the past two years walking and very much alive. If a dream could return a loved one back from the grave, he could fully understand why Luffy wouldn't want to leave. If he had his ideal life with his mother and father, he wouldn't either.

Gull gave a loud cough to get his captains' attention. "Excuse me, but we have people here who want to see Luffy."

Ace broke his hold on Luffy and gave the Strawhats a cold glare. He was so focused on the training session that he had completely ignored them before now. His glare was more than a little unnerving, especially given how carefree he was just a moment ago. "Who are you?" his voice promising pain if they didn't answer honestly.

"Friends," Zoro answered bluntly as he returned the older man's glare. He wasn't afraid of Luffy's brother, but it did put him on edge when he felt the protective aura around Ace. It reminded him very much of himself when felt Luffy was in danger.

"These people came with Nami," Sabo said before things could get violent.

Ace immediately relaxed when he heard the news. "Nami, huh? I haven't seen her in ages."

Luffy turned towards his crew in surprise. "Nami's here! Are the others here too!"

Sabo frowned when he heard the word 'others'.

"Well, Usopp is with us too," Franky answered slowly. "We also met Zoro and Sanji at a restaurant about week ago, but they're not with us."

Luffy ran up to the cyborg and began to shake him. "What about Robin, Franky, and Brook! Are they okay?"

Sabo shook his head. "Luffy, I doubt all of them happened to be together."

Luffy looked towards Sabo and quickly realized that he was right. The Nami and Usopp that were here wasn't part of his crew.

Ace looked towards the group. "Are you aware of his condition?"

"You mean about him being poison by a Belle Rêve, right?" Chopper asked, remembering what his counterpart had said.

Ace nodded. "He's doing better, but he's still not quite himself."

Luffy finally got a good look at the group. "Who are you people anyway?"

The Strawhats looked at each other for a moment. They hadn't thought of a story to tell their captain and none of them were ready to reveal themselves.

"We're a pirate crew you met back in East Blue and we have become friends since that time," Robin answered kindly; knowing if they fooled Luffy the dream would willingly accept them. "We only arrive here in the New World recently and we wanted to contact you."

Zoro side-eyed Robin during her explanation. He still didn't like how easily she could tell a lie.

Luffy rubbed his head. "But...I don't remember any of you. But at the same time you all do feel familiar. Your remind me of…."

"Try not to strain yourself," Sabo said in a soft voice. "Maybe we should head back to the ship and catch up properly."

Luffy nodded as he lifted his head up and gave a cheerful smile. "Well, if you guys said we were friends, then that's fine by me."

Toby leaned over towards Usopp. "Is he always this trusting?"

Usopp nodded. "For better and for worst."

"I will leave some men here to inform Silk's group that we're heading back to the ship," Ace said as he left for a moment.

Luffy stood silent for a second. "So, how are Nami and Usopp doing?"

"They're fine," Nami answered. It was more than a little weird to be talking about herself in the third person. It was even stranger that Luffy didn't recognize them at all.

Luffy suddenly slapped his hands together with a huge grin on his face. "Okay then, this calls for a party!"

"Luffy, we're already on a snow holiday," Sabo pointed out dryly.

"But this is different," Luffy insisted. "You can't have guests without throwing a party."

Sabo rolled his eyes. "What, is that from the bible of Shanks?"

Luffy smiled and nodded. "Of course. He says that you should always celebrate when you have guests or given good news."

"Shanks would celebrate if one of his crew members got a new hair cut," Sabo countered in good humor. "The guy is a drunkard."

Luffy chuckled at the comment. He loved Shanks, but he did drink like a fish. He wondered if he was still that way. He also began to wonder if Shanks could out drink Zoro since they both love booze so much.

"Who's a drunkard?" Ace asked as he returned to the group.

"Oh, Luffy wants a throw a party for our guests," Sabo informed casually.

Ace gave a wide smile. "I think that's an excellence idea! We need to lighten things up more."

Sabo gave a loud sigh. "Not you too."

"We need lots and lots of meat," Luffy said excitedly. "Maybe Sanji could..." He stopped himself when he realized what he was about to say. The look on Luffy's face quickly went from cheerful to completely forlorn.

The whiplash caught some of the Strawhats off-guard.

Sabo saw the change in Luffy's demeanor and patted his shoulder. "I'll make sure the chief makes all of your favorites."

That immediately perked Luffy up.

"Well, lets head out," Ace said as he led the group back towards the ship.

The Strawhats made sure to keep a respectful distance away from Luffy and his brothers. The three were in their own world chatting away about random things. At this moment, they didn't have any part in Luffy's life.

"So, that's Luffy's other brother," Chopper said as he looked at Sabo. "They seem so close that it hardly matters that they're not blood related."

"You should know better than anyone that it doesn't take blood to be a family," Sanji said as he thought of Zeff and the other cooks at the Baratie. "Although they do seem to complement each other."

"Sabo seems to balance out Luffy's playfulness and Ace's more serious demeanor," Robin observed.

Chopper paused in thought. "He seems so strong, I wonder what happened to him?"

Nami gave a deep frown. "It can't be anything good since Luffy never mentioned him. He's most likely..." She didn't even want to finish the sentence.

"Most likely," Zoro answered. It sucked to think that Luffy had lost not one, but two brothers in his short life. Life, however, was often unfair and cruel. He knew that from personally experience.

"But as Chopper said, if he is Luffy's brother then he must be really strong. I mean, you saw what he did to Luffy back there, that wasn't a fluke," Usopp said. "I don't think he could die so easily."

"My counterpart did say that Sabo was equal to Ace in terms of strength," Nami remarked offhandedly.

"What, he's that much of a monster!" Usopp exclaimed in shock.

He shouldn't be that surprised given he was Luffy's brother and he did beat Luffy in a duel. But Luffy, and especially Ace, were far from normal people. Luffy was the son of the Revolutionary Dragon and grandson of the Hero of the Marines, Garp. Ace was the freaking son of Gold Roger. How did Sabo even compare to such crazy bloodlines?

"Maybe so, but look what happened to Fire Fist Ace," Robin said as she looked towards the fire user. "Under the right conditions, strength can be rendered useless."

"It's pointless to speculate unless you plan to ask Luffy yourself," Sanji said. He really wanted a cigarette at the moment. This topic was a little too morbid for him.

Toby looked at the trio in thought. "Fire First Ace, you mean the pirate who was the son of the Pirate King and Whitebeard's Second Division Commander?"

Franky nodded. "Same person."

"I remember; he was executed about two years ago," Toby said. "It was big news all over the city."

There was a somber silence among the crew. They were all still ashamed that they had to learn what had happened from the newspaper.

"Yeah, Luffy did everything he could to save him," Usopp said bitterly.

More than anything he wished he was by his captain's side when he fought in that terrible war. Even if he was useless, he could have given Luffy some kind of moral support, especially after Ace lost his life. He couldn't imagine going through all that pain alone.

Toby's face was also somber. "Despite them being pirates, even dad was sad about what had happened during the war. Old man Whitebeard had been nothing but a source of good and was the only pirate dad respected. Now, the person who has replaced him is a complete monster."

Nami remembered Jimbi's words about how Blackbeard was searching and killing people for their Devil Fruits. If he ever learned of Toby's abilities, the boy would be in great danger. The kid may have caused them a lot of problems, but he didn't deserve to be murdered for his powers.

"Hey, let's race!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed when the ship came into sight, breaking the somber mood among the Strawhats. Before Ace or Sabo could answer, Luffy was already running ahead of them.

"Dammit Luffy, you cheat too much!" Sabo exclaimed as he ran after Luffy.

"Luffy, don't run in the snow! You might fall into some thin ice!" Ace yelled as he followed shortly behind Sabo.

Within moments, the three were evenly running along side each other with Ace pulling ahead, followed by Sabo. Luffy ran even harder; determined not to lose to his brothers again. He was so focused on the race; however, that he failed to noticed a patch of ice in his path. Before he knew what had happened, he slipped and flew right into his brothers. They all trembled ungracefully into the snow and lay in a circle from each other.

"Captains, are you okay?" Gull yelled as he ran towards the trio.

"I see Luffy is still a klutz," Sanji remarked nonchalantly.

Ace and Sabo gave Luffy annoyed looks as their younger brother burst into laughter at his misfortune. It was infectious and soon both Ace and Sabo were laughter along side their baby brother.

Gull shook his head at the brothers. "Really..."

Robin chuckled to herself at the scene. It was just too cute.

"Really, they all act like kids," Nami said, but her words had no power behind it. She was just as amused as Robin.

"They do seem more forgiving of Luffy's antics," Usopp said, knowing any of them, save for Robin and Brook, would have knocked Luffy upside his head or at least cussed him out for being careless.

"This is so touching that I almost want to sing," Brook said as he took out his guitar.

"Save it for later, bro," Franky said as Gull helped his captain out of the snow.

Once everything was settled, they reached the ship without any further incident. As soon as Luffy got onboard and he pumped both of his fists into air. "Hey everyone, we're having a party in honor of our guests!"

The entire deck cheered at the mentioned of the word party.

"I should have figured you would do this," Dream Nami said with a small smile. "You will never change, Luffy."

Luffy stared at Dream Nami and Usopp for a moment before tears began to run down his eyes. Before either of them could blink, Luffy ran up to them and engulfed them into a tight hug. "Nami, Usopp, I've missed both of you!"

Dream Usopp laughed as he patted Luffy's back. "Easy there. I know it has been awhile, but there's no need to get all tear up."

Luffy pulled away, still in tears. "But you don't understand. You, Nami, you guys were in my crew."

Dream Nami looked confused. "What?"

"It must be that fish," Dream Usopp whispered to Nami. "Remember what the doctor said."

Dream Nami nodded in understanding. "Yeah, I remember now."

Luffy looked at the two and quickly began to realize that these people weren't his crewmates. They didn't share those memorable adventures or battles between life and death. He truthfully didn't know these people. He didn't even know how he met them until he read Sabo's dairies.

He slowly pulled away from them as those realizations hit him. "Sorry."

Ace took note of Luffy's mood and knew he had to act quickly. "Hey, hurry up with that meat already! Luffy said he wanted a party!"

Zoro also took noticed of Luffy's gloomy mood shifts. It would seem that even in a paradise Luffy missed his crew. He just hope those feelings would be enough to convince Luffy to leave this place and return to reality.

When the meat came out, however, the mood quickly brightened on the ship and within an hour, everyone was partying and getting drunk. It seemed that both the food and the booze never ran out.

The Strawhats even got into the party and chose to enjoy themselves for this one night. After two weeks of sailing across the seas with only one rest stop, they all needed the break. It was also good to enjoy Luffy like this after seeing him bedridden for days on end.

"I wish that rubber brain had more diversity in the food," Sanji complained as he bit into a piece of meat. All the food they had were different trays of meat. Even worse, there were barely any women around for him to flirt with and the women that were around weren't interested in him. It was like they all had inherited Luffy's sex drive. Dammit, why was Luffy's paradise like hell to him?

"Strange, but all these recipes taste very familiar," Chopper said as he took a bit of his food. "It reminds me of the restaurant."

"That is because they are all based on Sanji's cooking with some variety here and there," Robin stated.

Sanji was flattered that Luffy thought so highly of his cooking, but he still wanted more variety and women, dammit.

"Luffy hasn't had too much good food if he thinks shit cook is the best he can do," Zoro remarked off-handedly.

Sanji glared at the swordsman. "What was that, moss head?"

Zoro glanced at him with his good eye. "You heard me."

"You bastard..." Sanji growled as he stood up. He was ready to beat the arrogant ball of moss into the ship's panels.

Nami tripped him before he could attack Zoro, sending him crashing into the floor. "That's enough. This isn't the place to be fighting."

"Of course, Nami-swan," Sanji cooed as he stood back up.

Zoro shook his head. "You're so whip."

"This isn't much of a party!" Ace suddenly yelled as he stood up from his meal. "We need some music!"

Sabo smiled. "I have just the thing." He reached into his coat jacket and pulled out a large tone dial.

"Oh, you have one of his classic albums," one of the crewmembers said in excitement.

Sabo nodded. "Yeah, I bought it on the last island. I thought it would be something to cheer Luffy right up." He then pushed the button on the dial and waited. After a couple of seconds, music filled the deck.

Brook look up in surprise when he realized what the song was. It was him singing Brink's Sake.

The pirates gave a loud cheer as they began to sing along. As they sang, Luffy unconsciously wrapped his arms around his brothers. Neither of them minded and actually huddled together even closer as they sang with the recording.

The Strawhats watched the scene with a strong sense of sadness and even guilt.

"He looks so happy," Nami said as she watched the heartwarming scene.

Zoro frowned. "You're not having second thoughts?"

Nami shook her head. "It's just..." She couldn't complete her own thought.

"This place is a creation of his deepest desire," Robin said. Her own eyes were also filled with sorrow. "As much as he may miss us, he has the knowledge of knowing we have achieved our dreams and therefore do not need to be a part of his crew. Plus, he is united with his lost family in this world."

Even she began to wonder what her ideal dream would be like. As much as she loved her crew, a part of her long to have the life she lost to the World Government. A life where her mother and father were alive along with the other scholars of Ohara. She closed her eyes as she remembered Saul's unique laugh echoing through the sky.

Toby watched the Strawhats' captain closely. "So this is what one chooses over being the Pirate King. A family."

At that moment, his respect for the young captain had greatly increased. He could have had anything he wanted in this world. Fame, fortune, power, it was all within his grasp, but he chose something so simple. Something that people, including himself, took for granted.

Toby also felt heartbroken at the thought at what they had to do to end this dream. He began to wonder if they were really doing the right thing. If he did chose to wake up, would he regret it? Guilt also began to overtake Toby. How he wished he hadn't given in to Jason's dare.

Almost as soon as the song ended, Ace suddenly fell over and went face first into his food, stunning all the Strawhats.

"What the...did he just dropped dead!" Franky exclaimed.

Chopper immediately went into his doctor mode and ran up to the fallen fire user. To his surprise, however, everyone, including Luffy, only laughed off Ace's sudden collapsed.

"Dang Ace, you win the award for best comedic timing," Sabo said. He was laughing so hard that he was grabbing his sides and tears were coming out of his eyes.

"Please move out of the way," Chopper ordered, trying to keep himself from yelling.

Dream Usopp gave a big grin at the young doctor. "Hey, there's no need to act all in a panic."

"But..." Chopper started.

"It's okay," Luffy chuckled. "Ace should wake up in any minute."

Just as Luffy said that, Ace popped back to life, looking no worse for wear. "Oh, did I fall asleep again?"

"You call that falling asleep!" Usopp yelled in disbelief. He thought Ace was supposed to be sane compared to Luffy.

Ace casually took a napkin and wiped his face. "Man, you guys could have at least kept me from landing into my food."

Sabo gave him an almost evil grin. "But where's the fun in that?"

Luffy just continued to laugh at his brothers' antics.

"Not funny. I got a piece of meat now stuck in my nose," Ace complained as he blew his nose several times.

Robin smiled at the interaction. Luffy and Ace may not be directly blood related, but they had a lot of characteristics in common.

"I think Ace had us all fooled," Nami remarked off-handedly. "He acts more like his brother than we gave him credit for."

It was strange seeing this side of Ace given how mature and calm he acted back in Alabasta. It was even an ongoing joke among the crew whether Luffy and Ace were actually related. Now that she thought about it, Ace has a lot of the same personality traits as Garp.

Zoro titled his head as he observed the three brothers. "Have you noticed that Luffy's other brother acts more like Ace when we met him?"

Nami paused in thought. "Now that you've mentioned it, you're right. I wonder why that is?"

She also recalled her counterpart saying how Ace had a bad temper, something that Ace had never once exhibited when he was with them. In fact, he was actually very slow to anger and never lost his patience with Luffy, even when he acted more annoying than usual. It was like what Zoro said, Ace seemed to have inherited certain characteristics from Sabo. Did it have something to do with Sabo's fate in the real world?

As this was going on, Silk's group returned to the ship almost unnoticed by anyone.

"Hey, I heard we had some visitors," Silk said to Gull.

"Yeah, Nami and Usopp came with some friends of Luffy," Gull said.

"Who?" Silk asked.

Gull pointed at the Strawhats. "Right over there."

Silk got a good look at the pirate crew and her eyes narrowed. "Friends of Luffy you say."

Gull nodded, noticing Silk change of mood. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," Silk said in a soft voice. "I just need to talk to the captains after the party."


	14. The Mole

The party went on well into the night before most of the crew passed out drunk or exhausted on the deck. Even Luffy eventually wore himself out and had to be carried into his sleeping quarters by Sabo.

Ace chose to stay on deck where the rest of the Strawhats also relaxed.

"I have to admit, that was a super party," Franky said as he finished drinking another bottle of soda.

Ace chuckled. "This is nothing compared to others we had. You're lucky that Luffy didn't demand fireworks or get himself drunk."

Sanji had to keep himself from shivering at the mention of Luffy being drunk. Luffy could pack away alcohol, but he became a violent little monkey when wasted. The one time he had one too many it had ended with an entire town nearly being burnt to the ground. Thankfully, it was a pirate town that was mostly run by shit heads so no innocent people were harmed. Still, the entire crew had since kept tabs on Luffy's alcohol intake.

"So, all three of you are the captains of this ship?" Robin asked. "How do you share the commands?"

"We make it work," Ace said casually. "We're more like equals and we respect each other abilities." He then gave a toothy grin. "Despite the fact that Luffy is our weak little brother who needs to be looked after."

Robin gave a small chuckle before asking her next question. "What exactly happened that allowed Luffy to be infected by the Belle Rêve?"

Ace lost his smile and looked sadly towards the cabin. "He was fooling around like any other normal day and he fell overboard. Sabo went after him and pulled him out as usual, but when Luffy regained consciousness he wasn't the same. He kept claiming that Sabo and I were dead."

Nami closed her eyes in sadness. So, Sabo had passed.

"Did he tell you how you died?" Robin asked steadily.

Ace lifted his head to look at the cloudy sky. "He claimed that I was executed by the marines, but he wouldn't go into any real detail. Although I know what happened in his dream still haunts him."

"How can you tell?" Usopp asked.

"He has terrible nightmares," Ace answered. "It has gotten to the point where he hardly sleeps, which is why he gets tires so easily. He hasn't rested properly in weeks."

"Nightmares?" Chopper questioned. Was it possible to have a dream within a dream?

Ace nodded as he rubbed his forehead. "He screams my name and sometimes Sabo's. I just wish he would tell us." He gave a loud sigh of frustration. "How can we help him fully recover when he keep secrets from us?"

There was a short pause across the deck.

"How long have you guys been brothers?" Usopp asked, wanting to go into a more cheerful subject.

Ace smiled at the change of subject and looked at the sniper in appreciation. "Oh, Luffy and I have known each other since I was about ten. Sabo was my long time friend and I met Luffy through our adoptive mother, Dadan."

"What happened to Luffy's birth mother?" Chopper asked.

Ace shrugged. "Don't know. Luffy has never told me. I'm not sure if he has even met or remembers his mom since grandpa has been rising him since he could walk."

"That sounds so sad," Nami whispered.

"Don't worry, Luffy isn't broken up about it," Ace chuckled. "Anyway, we met because gramps had this bright idea to turn us into fine tuned marines by making us be raised by a group of mountain bandits."

"Makes perfect sense," Sanji said in a deadpan voice. There was really something wrong with Luffy's entire family.

"You know," Ace laughed. "I guess he though making us be raised by outlaws would force us to toughen up and see how mess up being a 'villain' was since Dadan and her family have issues. Then again, I could be giving that old man too much credit and he was just crazy."

Zoro knew if Gasp was anything like his grandson it could go either way.

"When I first met Luffy I didn't want to be bothered with him," Ace sighed as he rubbed his hair. "I tried to make myself as unfriendly as possible towards Luffy, but the little brat didn't take the hint. He actually began to follow me around the mountains. Needless to say, I didn't take it too well."

All the Strawhats knew that Ace was purposely leaving stuff out, but it wasn't their place to ask for more detail. They were already prying enough.

"One day, he managed to follow me all the way to Gray Terminal and saw the place where Sabo and I were hiding our treasure," Ace explained furthered. "That treasure was our future and we panic when we saw Luffy. We didn't want him to tell anyone our secret so we contemplated killing him."

Ace said it so casually and with no emotion that most of the Strawhats were more than a little unsettled. Robin, however, understood that this was Luffy more or less recounting these events, not Ace. To Luffy, any hard feelings had long passed, which was why Ace showed no kind of regret or sorrow over his actions.

"Before we could do it, however, the thugs we stole the money from came looking for us. Sabo and I were able to hide, but Luffy got himself captured and was taking away," Ace said as his eyes began to narrow. His expression were a mixed of anger and grief. It was actually the first time he had expressed anything besides humor since his story started.

"What happened to Luffy?" Brook asked, almost afraid of the answer.

"They...they tortured him," Ace stuttered as he shook in disgust. "They actually strung him up to the rafters of the ceiling like a piñata and punched him repeatedly with spiked gloves for hours on end. It got to the point where he couldn't even cry anymore."

"Oh God!" Nami grasped in horror as she put a hand over her mouth.

"That's awful," Chopper added in shock.

Usopp shook his head in disbelief and disgust. "How could they do that to a kid?" Luffy maybe a monster, but no seven year old child should be subjected to hours of torture.

"Not all pirates are nice and show mercy towards a child," Ace said, but it sounded like he was repeating something that he had been told.

Zoro narrowed his eye in anger. He knew the only reason why Luffy showed no scars from such an incident was because of his powers. To think what those pirates did to his captain made him wished they were still alive so he could cut them apart personally.

"Once we found their hideout, Sabo and I broke Luffy free and beat up those pirates," Ace said proudly, easing some of the tensity. "Since that day, we pretty much became brothers. Although we didn't make it official until we drank sake."

"Sake?" Franky repeated in confusing.

"Don't you know?" Ace asked in surprise. "When you share a bottle of sake, you become brothers."

Franky saw several things wrong with that statement. If that was case, three-fourths of Water 7 were his brothers and sisters.

"Wait, so Luffy went several hours being beaten with spike gloves and he never told those pirates about your hideout?" Usopp asked.

"Yeah, it's pretty crazy when you think about. Luffy was such a whining, crybaby, yet he never told those pirates anything," Ace said. "Even when they were ready to kill him, he still kept his mouth closed."

Usopp shook his head in admiration. It was very much like Luffy, yet he was still left in awe. To think that even as a child that Luffy could take that kind of punishment without cracking.

"But why would Luffy do that after you were so mean to him?" Chopper asked.

Ace's eyes became downcast. "I asked him the same question. He said it was because he was afraid if he talked that I wouldn't want to be his friend."

"Your friendship meant that much to Luffy?" Sanji questioned.

Ace nodded. "Since the day Luffy came to the mountains, he felt alone because he was away from his old village and even then he had no one his own age to be friends with. To Luffy, being alone was worst than getting hurt."

That statement struck all the Strawhats. All of them knew how painful loneness was. To think that Luffy understood that at such a young age saddened them. What kind of life had Luffy lived before meeting Ace?

Ace leaned into his knees. "I think that's why we became so close. Luffy, Sabo, and I are all outcasts. I was despised by society because of my bloodline and Sabo was a leper because his world's views and morals were different from his parents' and the other nobles. Despite the fact we had people around us, we all felt alone." Ace paused for a moment. He then began to smile. "By coming together we were no longer pariahs in the world. We were a family."

"That's so touching," Brook said with tears in nonexistence eyes.

The other Strawhats were silent as they took in Ace's words. In many ways, Ace's story mirrored their own experiences. Like him, they had all found their place in the world by becoming part of Luffy's crew.

"Excuse me, Captain Ace, but there's something that I need to talk to you about," Silk said as she approached Ace, stopping all conversations.

"What is it?" Ace asked as he cleared his head.

Silk glanced at the Strawhats for a second before turning her eyes back towards her captain. "It's private."

"I see," Ace said as he slowly stood up. "Excuse me for a moment." He then walked off with Silk to the other side of the ship.

"So, that's how the brothers met," Usopp whispered. He knew that they were missing several key details, but he was grateful to know a little bit more about his captain. He wished he had learned this information in another manner, however.

"But the one thing I don't get is this," Brook said when he sure that Ace was out of earshot. "How can Luffy-san be having nightmares when this is a dream world?"

Toby leaned back as he sipped his milk. "He isn't dreaming. It's his mind trying to tell him that this isn't reality."

"So, a part of Luffy is trying to escape this place," Zoro said. Paradise or not, Luffy wouldn't want to stay here for all eternity.

"A part of him already knows that this is a dream despite the dream itself trying to convince him otherwise if he's having 'nightmares' as commonly as Fire Fist said," Toby said matter-of-factly. "But there's something here that he doesn't want to let go of, so it allows him to ignore his instincts. It seems that Strawhat would rather drive himself mad than to acknowledge that this world is a lie."

"His anchor," Nami stated, remembering Toby's words. Her worst fears returned full force. "Does that mean we have to kill Luffy's brothers in order to end this dream?"

All the Strawhats, saved for Robin and Zoro, looked at Nami in horror. For most of them, the thought had never crossed their mind.

"Can we end the dream by simply making Luffy acknowledge that his brothers are dead?" Usopp asked. "I mean...the only way can't be to kill Ace and Sabo."

Toby looked down into his now empty cup. "Actually, he..." He suddenly stopped himself.

"Is there something wrong?" Sanji asked.

Toby's eyes narrowed. "They know of us."

Zoro quickly got on guard. "Who knows?"

"The mole knows about us and has told the others," Toby whispered.

Robin looked around for any movement on the dark deck. "Who is it?"

Before Toby could answer, Ace came walking back towards them.

Zoro jumped up when he felt Ace's presence. It was much more hostile than earlier. Beside him was Silk, who glared at them darkly.

Ace looked at each of the Strawhats for a second. "Did you really think you could fool us?"

Zoro glanced at Silk for a moment before he turned his attention back towards Ace. "I don't know what that woman has been telling you, but we're not here to cause trouble."

Ace raised his fist, which burnt with a bright fire. "Liar."

"Ace, what's going on?" Sabo asked as he walked on deck. There to join him were Dream Nami and Usopp.

"Oh come on," Dream Nami said in annoyance. "Do you men always need to fight after drinking?"

"We've been deceived." Ace said, never taking his eyes off of Zoro. "These people are marine spies."

Zoro looked at Silk. "Really, that's the best story you could come up with?"

"Zoro, you're not helping!" Nami yelled.

"There's no point in trying to hide it anymore," Zoro said coldly. "We know this place is nothing but a dream."

Dream Usopp grasp in disbelief. "Wha...what?"

"Don't let these marine scum bags fool you," Silk said in an icy tone. "They will say anything to throw us off."

"It is the truth," Robin said as she also stood up. "This place is a dream world created by a Devil Fruit. This dream is created by Luffy."

"I have had just about enough of your talk," Ace said as he fist glowed brighter.

Sanji had a flashback of seeing this move. If he remembered correctly, it didn't end well for those involved. "Get out of the way!"

Ace shot a fist of fire at the group and they barely had time to jump out of the way.

Zoro quickly unsheathed his swords and attempted to charge the Logia user. Sabo quickly intercepted him, however. He blocked each of his swords with his boa.

"I'm not sure what's going on, but I won't let you harm my brother," Sabo growled fiercely.

Franky turned towards the cabin where Luffy rested. "We have to get Strawhat bro."

Before he could get within an inch towards the cabin, he was knocked over by a sword of wind. He looked up to see Dream Nami staring at him with her Clima-Tact in hand.

"I won't let you near Luffy," Dream Nami said fiercely.

Dream Usopp lifted up his Kuro Kabuto. "How dare you use us."

Brook took out his sword. "It would appear that this situation can't be resolved peacefully."

Ace responded by releasing several small balls of fire around the crew and causing the entire area to light on fire.

"Shit, my pop greens won't work with all this fire," Usopp cursed.

"I got him," Sanji said as he ran in to challenge Ace.

He attempted a powerful flying kick at the older man, but Ace easily dodged it. He then punched Sanji on the side of his chest, which caused his suit to catch on fire. Sanji cussed under his breath as he jumped back and brushed the fire out. "I hate fighting logias."

"Strange, my attack barely burnt you," Ace observed.

Sanji smirked at the fire user. "As a chief, I'm used to the heat."

"I see, then I just have to try harder," Ace said as his entire body caught on fire.

Meanwhile, Sabo and Zoro were in a stalemate as they each attempted to get the best of one another. Zoro had to admit that Sabo was very good. Even if he was just a reflection of someone long dead, Luffy much of had great confidence in his power to make Sabo his equal.

Zoro attempted to finish the fight with upper slash from his sword, but Sabo gracefully bent his body out of the way and kicked the swordsman. Zoro hissed in pain, but returned the favor by cutting Sabo's upper leg.

Sabo jumped back and quickly looked over the injury. "You're good."

Zoro gave a wide smile. "You're not too bad either."

Sabo returned the smile before they both charged one another again.

Franky was having a hard time fighting Dream Nami since she kept putting illusions in his way and disappearing into thin air.

"This is getting old," Franky complained. He sensed Dream Nami coming from his back, but she was stopped dead in her tracks by a bolt of lightening.

"You may be a copy of me, but don't think you can beat the real thing," Nami bragged. Luffy, after all, only saw a sample of what she could do on Fishmen Island.

"Thanks, sis," Franky said as he moved in to punch Dream Nami. It felt very odd and wrong to attack his crewmate, but he kept reminding himself that this wasn't Nami, but a counterpart created by a dream.

Dream Nami screamed in pain as she fell on the deck unconscious.

The real Nami flinched at seeing her counterpart get hit.

Dream Usopp, meanwhile, was holding off the remaining Strawhats by shooting wave after wave of monstrous plants at them, who were for some reason unaffected by the fire.

Chopper quickly went into his Horn Point and began to cut the plants down with his antlers while Brook backed him up.

Once Robin got a clear view of Dream Usopp, she put her arms together. "Ocho Fleur!" Eight arms suddenly wrapped themselves around Dream Usopp's body. Robin gave him a sympathetic look as she closed her eyes. "Clutch!"

Dream Usopp screamed in pain as his body was twisted around and his bone cracked. Once Robin was certain that Dream Usopp was knocked out, she released her hold.

"Glad that's over," Chopper said, although seeing the broken bodies of his crewmates' counterpart didn't sit well with him. After weeks of sailing with them, he had become fond of them.

"Now we can get to Luffy," Usopp said. Before he could move, however, a wave of energy nearly hit him. He saw the attack just in time and managed to jump out of the way. "What the heck!"

He looked up to see Silk glaring at him with two swords in her hands. "I won't allow that to happen."

Robin put her arms together to restrain her, but Silk seemed to disappear from sight. "What..." Robin started before Silk cut her deeply on her side.

"Robin!" Nami screamed in horror.

"Wow, she's fast!" Chopper exclaimed in shock.

"She's the guardian of the dream world," Toby said, staying far away from the fighting. "Her strength is equal to those of the dreamer."

"You mean she's as strong as Luffy!" Usopp exclaimed.

Toby nodded. "Pretty much."

"You should have told us that before!" Usopp yelled.

Franky lifted up his arms and pointed them straight at Silk. "Weapon Left!" He fired several shots at her, but she gracefully eluded each cannonball and ran towards the cyborg. He was taken off-guard when Silk kicked him in the neck and sent him flying into the wooden floor.

Silk stared down at Franky. "Why do you fight so hard? Don't you understand what you're trying to destroy?"

Franky slowly lifted himself off the floor. "What, you mean this dream?"

"Fool, this place is far more than just a dream," Silk spat. "This is a living breathing world you're attempting to kill."

"No, this is nothing more than a dream created by our captain," Robin said as she nursed her wound. "No matter how pleasant it maybe, it is still a dream."

"And who are you to decide what is dream or reality?" Silk challenged. "Dreams can be just as real as any reality. Can't you see your captain is happy here? Why can't you accept his choice to stay within his dream?"

"Because he would never truly be happy here," Nami said firmly. "How can he be happy to achieve his dream knowing that it's all fake? The same for running from the reality of what happened to his brothers."

Silk glared at Nami. "Are you sure you're doing this for his sake or your own?"

Nami returned the glare. "What are you suggesting?"

Silk pointed her sword at the other woman. "Are you doing this to help him or because you want your captain back? You need him to achieve your own goals and dreams; therefore you can't allow him to stay here. He has to keep going for your benefit, not his."

"How dare you even suggest that," Usopp growled. "Luffy means more to us than what he can personally do for our dreams. We're here because Luffy would never want to live the rest of his life within some dream."

"He's obviously happy since you couldn't wake him," Silk countered.

"Because this place gives him back something that he has lost," Brook said as visions of his deceased crew flashed across his mind. "It would be hard for anyone not to resist such an opportunity."

Silk nodded. "All of you have lost a dear one in the past. Wouldn't you give anything to have that person back? Would you honestly even care if it was a dream?"

Each of the Strawhats looked at each other as the other battles raged in the background. Zoro was barely holding his own against Sabo, who didn't seem to be tiring, and Sanji had more than a few problems fighting Ace.

"Miss Silk, I think I speak for all of us when I say that we would dearly give anything to have the people we've lost back," Brook started as he stared at his sword. "Even if it was just for a moment, I would gladly give anything to see my old crew again. But in the end, I would choose to return to the real world, because even a nice dream is still just a dream."

"Even if reality seems unfair and unbearable at times I would whether chose to live within it instead of hiding in the past," Franky said as he thought of Tom and the others at Water 7. "If I did, I would have never met my crew and finally set out to sea to achieve my dream. We live for the future and the new happiness it can bring us."

"Memories are meant to be cherished, not lived within," Robin stated as she thought of Saul's last words to her.

"So all of you would choose your current lives over what you have lost?" Silk asked in disbelief.

Franky nodded. "In a heartbeat and I know Luffy would feel the same."

"Luffy misses us," Chopper argued further. "He showed that when he hugged his version of Nami and Usopp."

"Of course he would miss something of his old life, but he obviously prefers what he has now," Silk said coldly.

"We're going in circles," Franky said as he pointed his gun at Silk again. "We're never going to agree since you're created to keep this place going like some kind of sick machine. We're taking our captain back!"

Silk narrowed her eyes. "Just try."

"What's going on?" a soft voice asked.

All action stopped as everyone turned to look at Luffy. He had a tired look on his face, but his eyes were widened in shock.

"Dammit, we woke Luffy up," Sabo cussed.

Luffy looked around and froze when he saw the bodies of his one time crew. "Usopp, Nami!" He then ran to their side. They appeared to be still breathing, but they were obviously knocked out. "What the hell happened! Who did this!"

The Strawhats could clearly see the pure rage in Luffy's face. It was a rare sight to see and normally meant a beat down to all involved parties. For Toby, this was the first time he felt real fear from the boy captain. It made the one-eyed swordsman's anger toward him look like a temper-tantrum.

Silk pointed accursedly at the Strawhats. "These people are marines here to collect our bounties! They defeated Nami and Usopp while they were protecting you." Her eyes then became shadowed. "They were sent personally by Akainu."

Luffy glared at his crew. His eyes shone with hate at the mere mention of that man's name. "You bastards!"

Franky gritted his teeth as he stared at Silk. "That's low putting our names in the same sentence as that jackass."

"Luffy, it isn't what you think," Usopp said as he put up his hands.

"I know enough," Luffy growled as he grabbed one of his arms. "I'll kick all of your asses!"

Robin crossed her arms. She knew that Luffy wasn't in a reasonable state at the moment. "We may have to fight him."

Toby suddenly stepped between the two groups. He was so scared that his face was pale and his knees were shaking. "Strawhat, do you recognize me?" A bright light engulfed him and Toby returned to his normal kid form.

Luffy paused for a moment before his eyes widened. All of his previous anger evaporated. "You're...but how?"

"Don't be fooled by that boy!" Silk warned.

"I was the one who brought you here," Toby continued unheeded. "I touched your forehead and when you woke up, you were among your brothers on this ship."

Luffy suddenly had a flashback to that night that felt like a lifetime ago. "But it was a dream, wasn't it?"

Toby shook his head. "It wasn't a dream. My Devil Fruit created this place. You're currently in a dream world. Nothing here is real!"

"That's all lies!" Silk yelled as she ran towards Toby with the full intention of cutting his head off.

Robin immediately used her powers to trip Silk, but she had to quickly release her hold to keep Silk from cutting her arms off.

"Those people you see as your crew aren't real," Toby said. "They're dream images created by your own mind."

Ace stopped his assault on Sanji. "What are you talking about?"

Toby slapped his hands together. "These are the faces of your real crew." With another flash of blue light the Strawhats felt a tingle run through their bodies.

Luffy jumped back in utter shock. "What!"

Sabo looked at Usopp and Nami in equal surprise. "There're two of them, but how?"

"What...what's going on?" Luffy asked in complete confusing. "I don't get any of this."

"As I said, Strawhat Luffy, this is a dream," Toby said. "And you're the dreamer."


	15. Choice

The entire ship was silence as Toby's words sunk in to everyone.

"A dream?" Sabo repeated in disbelief. "Impossible."

Ace stepped towards Toby, but Sanji made sure to keep a close eye on the fire user. "Are you saying that we're all dreaming and this world isn't real?"

Toby shook his head. "No, only Strawhat. Save for Strawhat, his crew, and me, none of you are real. You're all a creation of Strawhat's mind, which were created through the power of my Devil Fruit. I ate the Dream Dream Fruit."

"If Luffy is the only dreamer, how can you and the others be real?" Sabo questioned.

"The Strawhats were transported here through me into their captain's dream world," Toby explained. "They did it because my powers alone couldn't free Strawhat."

"Don't be foolish," Silk countered fiercely. "This boy has a Devil Fruit, but it isn't what he says it is. He can create illusions and he was somehow able to obtain information about Luffy's condition. He then used his powers to cover these marines in a cloak to resemble his dream crew."

"You have an excuse for everything," Franky muttered under his breath.

"Strawhat, think about how odd this place has been," Toby said slowly to the boy captain. "Since you've been here, you've had everything you wanted. You had all the food you could eat, your brothers, who have died, are here by your side, and your former crew happened to achieve all their dreams with none of the tragedies. Don't you think this it's all too good to be true?"

Luffy blinked several times as he thought of the question. "But I've already tried to wake myself up when I thought I was dreaming. I nearly died too." He remembered all too well the pain and fear that gripped his heart when he nearly drowned over a month ago. That was far too real.

"That's because this dream cannot be escaped through dying. It's part of the nature of my Devil Fruit," Toby stated. "That's also why things seems more real than it should be. However, this is still all just a dream."

Silk rolled her eyes. "Likely story."

"What do you mean your powers couldn't free Luffy?" Ace asked, interrupting any further questions from Luffy.

"If Strawhat truly wanted this dream to end, he would had done it and broken my power himself," Toby said. "But because he has come to accept this place as reality, it was no longer enough for me to intervene. The dreamer is ultimately the god of their dream world, therefore Strawhats' power surpasses even my Devil Fruit."

"It's all lies," Silk said in annoyed voice. "What more do you expect from people sent by Akainu."

Luffy's body shook when he heard that name again.

Zoro growled at Silk. He was getting sick of that witch.

"If everything that I have said is a lie and I created illusions, how did I create myself?" Toby challenged. "I'm certain you told no one what I look like, did you?"

Silk had no counter for that.

"If you need any more proof, think of something," Toby said firmly. "Think of anything to happen at this very moment."

Luffy paused as he bit his lips in thought. The Strawhats looked at their captain expectedly as they waited for something to happen.

At that very moment the chief of the crew came out of the kitchen with several stacks of meat. "Luffy, I brought your evening snack." He was completely unaware of any of the damage on the ship.

"Figures he would think of that," Sanji sighed.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Luffy exclaimed in awe as he ran over to eat his snack. He stopped short, however, when he realized what he had done. "Wait..."

"You finally realize it," Toby said slowly, slightly annoyed at how dim Luffy was.

Luffy shook his head as the events of the last couple of weeks played in his mind. "So, this place isn't real." He then looked at Ace and Sabo. "So, they're..."

Toby nodded, but there was sadness in his eyes. "Yes."

The vision of Ace having a fist of lava going through him came back into his mind caused Luffy shake his head in disbelief. "No...I won't believe it!"

"Luffy, you have to accept that your brothers are dead," Zoro said bluntly.

"You don't have to be blunt about it, shit head," Sanji cussed.

"But...they're standing right there," Luffy said as he pointed towards Ace and Sabo. "They...they can't be fake. They have the same warmth, personalities...this couldn't be something I made up!"

"As I said, my Devil Fruit has allowed this world to come into being," Toby said. "It took all of your memories of your brothers and made them as real as you wanted them to be. It was your need and desire for them to be alive that made them as realistic as they are. But they're no more real than any dream."

Ace's face was completely covered by his hat so no one could see his expression. "So, we're just remnants of Luffy's mind." He then looked up at his brother. "Luffy, tell me honestly. How exactly did we die?"

Luffy shook his head. "I don't want to remember!"

"Luffy, please tell us," Sabo said. "As your brothers, we have the right to know."

Luffy became silent for a few minutes. It looked like he was going to break down and cry. "You died just as I said on that first day, Sabo. I never saw what happened to you, I've only heard about it."

Sabo only blinked in acknowledgment.

Nami was a little surprise that Luffy didn't actually witness his first brother's death. What exactly happened?

"And me?" Ace insisted. He knew that was the real cause of Luffy's pain.

Luffy bit his lips as he tried to control his tears. "You...you were killed by the marines, like I said before..."

"I know that part, but I want to know the details," Ace said with more heat. "You wouldn't hurt this badly if I've was simply been killed."

"I...I just can't..." Luffy whispered, but the memory returned regardless. As hard as he tried, he could no longer repress it.

Ace didn't know how, but he could feel Luffy's true memories begin to rush into him. Within seconds, he saw the events that had transpire on that terrible day. Now, he understood why Luffy was in such pain. "I understand now. I wasn't just killed, but I was murdered by Akainu. That's also why that name brings up so much rage from you."

"So, now you know," Silk said as she stood up. There was no point in playing dumb anymore. "The question is, however, what will you do with this information?"

Luffy looked up at Silk.

"Dream, reality, what does it all means in the grand scheme of things?" Silk questioned as her voice softened. "Luffy, weren't you happy here? After you accepted this place, did you really care if this place was real or not?"

Luffy looked down at his hands. "I always felt something wasn't right, even after I thought this wasn't a dream. But I...I didn't care. I was together with my brothers again."

"You don't have to leave this place," Silk continued in a soothing tone. "You can stay here forever and live out the rest of your life with your brothers in peace. Who are they to tell you what is reality?"

"Luffy, no matter how perfect this world maybe, it isn't real," Brook said more harshly than he meant to. "You can't just ignore reality just because it's painful."

"And why shouldn't he?" Silk questioned the skeleton swordsman. "As long as one is happy, who particularly cares about reality?" She then turned her attention back towards Luffy. "Didn't you say yourself that this world has become real to you? That's where it all counts. This place is powered by your mind and is as real as you chose to make it. Which is why your brothers are alive here. Which is why the people on your crew are real. Which is why the very air you're currently breathing is real. This dream is your new reality."

"But think about what you will be missing!" Usopp yelled. "All those adventures, finding the One Piece, becoming Pirate King, do you really believe you would be satisfied achieving your dream here where it doesn't even matter? What would even be the point in becoming Pirate King here since it has already been concluded that you will achieve your goal? Didn't you say you didn't want to go on boring adventures!"

Luffy's eyes widened as he remembered those words.

"And what about your promise to Shanks?" Zoro questioned coldly. "Will we have to tell him that you have given up and chose to live within a fantasy?"

"But doesn't having your family back mean more to you then becoming a king? If being the Pirate King was your true heart's desire, you would had achieved it the moment you entered this world," Silk countered. "Besides, what's a distant dream compared to the warmth of one's brothers? This is your family that you will be leaving behind for the sake of some adventure!"

Luffy honestly didn't have an answer. He wanted to become the Pirate King more than anything and fulfill his promise to Shanks. But going back meant accepting that his brothers were long dead. That Ace died in his arms saving his life. It also meant accepting that Sabo died without ever having true freedom. Being forced to confront those facts was almost like being forced to relive his brothers' deaths.

Nami glared at Silk hatefully. "He does have a family. We're his family."

"That's hardly the same," Silk snorted.

"It's exactly the same!" Nami yelled.

Silk gave Nami a look of contempt. "You would put your crew on the same level as your sister and mother?"

Nami narrowed her eyes. "Of course I would."

"Luffy's our family. We look out for each other," Chopper added in determination. "We care for him and he cares for us."

Silk glared at each of the Strawhats. "Do you all really believe that you can replace his brothers?"

"Of course not," Zoro said harshly as he looked towards Luffy's trembling form. "We can never replace his brothers and none of us want to. But it isn't healthy to live in the past. Especially when there's so much in the future to fight for."

Luffy looked towards his friend. "Zoro..."

"Luffy, don't be so quick to throw away everything you have gained over these last two years," Zoro said, never taking his eyes off his captain. "If you were so willing to give up like this, why even bother returning to the sea?"

Luffy then began to stare at each of his crewmates. "I...I know you guys are right, but...I don't want to lose Ace and Sabo again. To you, they may be nothing but images, but to me, we sailed the seas together as brothers."

"Luffy, understand you're not alone in this," Robin said in a gentle voice. "The pain of losing people never really goes away no matter how much time has passed. You can't, however, let that pain control your life. You still have us and you still have your entire life ahead of you. Do you think your real brothers would be happy for you to live within this dream?"

Luffy already knew the answer.

"Luffy, think about what you would be giving up?" Silk asked firmly as she felt her hold slipping. "Here you can have anything you want. You never have to watch anyone die ever again. You never have to remember the day your brother laid down his life for you. You can forget all of that pain and live happily here. It is the perfect life."

Luffy said nothing for a moment. "But that really wouldn't be living, would it?"

Silk was taken aback by his words.

"It would be an empty, meaningless existence where my life won't amount to anything," Luffy whispered as Ace's last words crept into his ears. "It would also mean that Ace's sacrifice as well as the work my crew put in over these past two years were pointless if I gave up everything just to stay here."

He then looked at both of his brothers who stared at him with blank looks. "Ace, Sabo, even if you're not my real brothers, thank you for everything you've done for me. Even if it wasn't real, I'm happy I got the chance to see both of you one last time." His voice cracked at the last part.

Silk looked at Luffy for a moment. "So, you made your choice?"

Luffy nodded, but his entire body was shaking in grief.

"Luffy," Usopp whispered in tears. He had to fight the urge to run up to his captain and hug him.

There was a long pause and the Strawhats waited for anything to happen. Some of them expected the dream to end now that Luffy had acknowledged that nothing was real, but everything stood perfectly the same.

"Nothing happening," Chopper said as he looked around.

"As I said, the dream won't end by him simply acknowledging that this is a dream," Toby said.

Luffy was confused by Toby's statement. Then again, he couldn't escape before even when he tried to kill himself.

"Even if he wants to leave, that doesn't mean he can," Silk said almost evilly.

"What do you mean?" Nami asked angrily. She really hated this woman.

"We need to destroy his anchor, remember," Zoro said. "That's the only way that this dream will end."

"Anchor?" Luffy questioned.

"It's the pillar that holds this world together," Toby explained to Luffy. "It's the very heart that keeps your dream alive."

Sanji looked at both Sabo and Ace. "Which means, one or both of you are the anchors of this world."

Luffy looked horrified. "You mean..."

"We have to kill them," Zoro concluded for his captain. It was a bitter thing to say and seeing the terror on Luffy's face caused the swordsman to look away.

"You misunderstood what I said before," Toby said slowly as he looked at each of the Strawhats. "You can't destroy his anchor."

"Huh, but you said..." Usopp started.

"I said his anchor needed to be destroyed, but you can't do it," Toby said, as he looked straight at Luffy. "Only Strawhat can do it."

There was another long pause as each of the Strawhats took in the information.

"You can't be serious!" Franky finally exclaimed.

"I'm very serious," Toby said in a grave voice. "That's why I didn't want to do this and even said it would be very painful to wake up your captain like this. To escape this dream, he has to willingly rip his own heart out."

Luffy shook his head in disbelief. "Are you telling me I have to kill Sabo and Ace!"

"No, only Fire Fist," Toby said. "You have the strongest connecting towards him. It was his lost, after all, that created this world."

Ace said nothing and his eyes were still hidden.

"How...how can you ask me to do such a thing?" Luffy asked as he shook in anguish. "I watched Ace died before! Now, you're telling me that I have to kill him with my own hands! I...I can't..."

Silk began to chuckle. "See, you don't really have the desire to leave."

"Stay out of this!" Usopp yelled.

"If he truly desired freedom from this world, he would show no hesitation in killing his brother," Silk said in an almost mocking voice. "After all, he isn't real, right?"

"You're a really annoying little bitch, you know that," Franky growled in both anger and frustration.

"There must be another way," Brook said in desperation as he looked at Toby. "Can't you use your powers to disengage the dream now that Luffy-san has accepted the truth?"

"I can't because my powers can only wake someone who truly wants to wake up with their entire being," Toby said sternly, although his voice cracked a bit. He obviously hated the situation. "As Silk has said, a part of Strawhat still doesn't want to let go, so I'm powerless."

"I can't do it," Luffy muttered.

"Luffy, I know this is painful but you have to do it," Zoro said firmly. "It's the only way you can get better."

"Just remember that they're not real," Sanji advised.

"BUT THEY'RE REAL!" Luffy screamed. "For these last couple of weeks we've sailed together and they took care of me just like my real brothers. They...they're just as real as the real Ace and Sabo."

"Dammit Luffy, this is a dream!" Zoro yelled in frustration. "They're both illusions created from your memories. They don't have any real feelings or care towards you."

"Trying to force him by denying his brothers' existence won't work," Robin said harshly towards Zoro. "You have to remember, Luffy spent weeks with them and has bonded with them. He sees them as his brothers and nothing we can say can change that."

Sanji shook his head at the entire messed up situation. He couldn't begin to imagine being put into a position of being forced to kill Zeff. He may disagree with the shitty geezer at times, but he could never fight him seriously, even if it was an illusion.

"So, what will you do now?" Silk challenged again.

No one moved or said anything. Luffy's eyes were downcast and he couldn't bear to stare at either his crew or his brothers. He felt like such a failure. His crew risked so much to bring him back to reality and in the end he couldn't bring himself to destroy the things he had gained. He wanted to return with his crew, but he didn't want to let go of Ace and Sabo either if it meant committing murder. As selfish as it was, he wanted it both ways.

"Let me get this straight," Ace said calmly. "The only way for this dream to end, I have to die."

Silk nodded. "Yes, but Luffy can't do it so our existence is assured."

Ace glanced at Sabo and they both gave each odd looks. For a moment, it looked like an understanding had been reached between the two before Ace nodded.

"Shit," Sanji cussed as he prepared for the fire user to attack. He remembered Toby's words about the dream people's willingness to fight if their lives were at stake.

"Not good," Franky muttered as he prepared his weapons. Now those two would be even more serious.

"I understand. Then, there is only one thing that can be done," Ace said softly. Instead of charging the Strawhats, however, he suddenly ran towards Luffy. With his fist ablaze, he nearly impaled his baby brother through his chest.

It was only thanks to Luffy's reflexes as well as his Haki that Ace failed to kill him. Although he had a bad burn on his arm from the place Ace did manage to hit him.

"The hell!" Silk exclaimed in surprise.

Chopper's eyes widened in shock. "What's Ace doing!"

Ace doubled back and kicked Luffy's legs out from under him. Luffy managed to catch himself, but was almost stomped into the deck by Ace's foot.

"Ace, what are you doing!" Luffy exclaimed. In all the years he had sparred with Ace, he had never been this aggressive. Even with all the training he had with Rayleigh, he was barely keeping up with his older brother.

Ace gave Luffy a cold glare as both his fists came on fire. He looked very much like a demon. "You said you couldn't kill me so I'm going to give you a choice. Either you fight and kill me or I'll take your life myself."


	16. End of a Dream

Everyone stared at Ace in surprise and disbelief as the entire night sky came to life in flames. Ace's face was firm as he glared at Luffy with an intensity that Luffy had never seen before.

No, he had seen it before years ago when he used to chase after Ace through the mountains for those first three months. He had also seen it again briefly when Ace confronted Akainu for the last time. He hadn't realized until now how scary that look really was. There was a reason why his brother was respected and feared throughout his lifetime. He had an aura that demanded respect.

"Ace, you can't be serious?" Luffy said once he found his voice. He began to laugh nervously as he attempted to find the humor in the situation. "This isn't the time to be playing around."

"I'm very serious," Ace almost growled, as his flame grew brighter. "You better make up your mind quickly if you want to live!"

He charged in again and nearly took Luffy's head off with a fire punch. He barely had time to dodge before Ace attempted to knee him in the gut. It took all his senses to keep up with Ace, but he found no time to counterattack.

Silk was struck dumb by the sudden turn of events. "What are you doing! You can't kill him! If you do, then it will be the end to all of us!"

"Ace already knows all of that," Sabo said as he watched the fight stone-faced. "Which is why he wants to force Luffy's hand. He can't kill Ace in cold-blood, but he can kill him if he's trying to defend himself."

Silk turned angrily towards Sabo. "Don't you understand! If Ace dies as well, we all die with him. He's the main source to our world."

"I heard that boy's explanation as well as you did," Sabo said in slight annoyance. "We both know no matter how this fight ends, this world will come to an end and we have accepted that fate. There's nothing left to do but to sit back and watch."

Silk shook her head, not understanding any of this. "Fine, then I'll stop Ace myself!" She ran towards the battle, only to be stopped by Zoro.

"You won't interfere," Zoro growled as he pointed his swords at Silk's neck.

"Get out of my way!" Silk yelled as she clashed swords with Zoro.

They were both dead even as they attempted to get the upper hand on each other. Zoro was surprised by how evenly matched they were. Her moves were a mixture between himself and Mihawk. He wasn't sure how many swordsmen Luffy had encountered in his lifetime, but he did know how to chose from the best. He couldn't help but to feel a little honored.

Luffy quickly found himself at a disadvantage as Ace continued his relentless attacks. Ace was nearly unstoppable at a distance since he could shot fireballs at him all day and Ace was equally as dangerous close up. Even with his Haki protecting him, Ace's flames were still strong enough to burn his skin. Fighting in close quarters on a ship wasn't helping especially since the ship was quickly catching on fire and he was in danger of becoming entrapped within the flames. He needed more room.

With that thought in mind, Luffy stretched his arms and rocketed himself off the ship. The snow should offer him a better advantage over the fire user.

"I won't let you get away that easily!" Ace yelled as he jumped after his brother. Unlike Luffy, Ace looked like a real rocket taking off as he soared through the air.

"Man, fire bro really is serious about his threat," Franky said in awe. He was also a little upset that Ace had so willingly burned his own ship. Dream or not, this was some fine craftsmanship going to waste.

"He can't really want to kill Luffy," Usopp said in horror.

Robin shook her head. "It's just as Sabo said. Ace wants to force Luffy's hand."

"But why would he do that?" Nami asked in confusion. "He knows that either path will lead to his extinction along with his world. What he's doing is literally committing suicide."

"I've never seen anything like this before," Toby said in complete shock. "Usually the dream people would fight to the death to preserve their world like Silk, not willingly destroy it. How can such a thing happen?"

Robin rubbed her chin. "Could it be..."

"We should go after them," Chopper suddenly said. "We really can't allow Ace to murder Luffy."

"I can't allow you to interfere," Sabo said as he approached the Strawhats. "This battle is between Ace and Luffy."

Brook stared down at the younger man. "Even if he has the right intentions, we won't allow our captain to die."

"He won't die," Sabo said with no hesitation. "I know my brother."

The faith in Sabo's voice gave all of the Strawhats pause. Real or not, this man was acting like any real brother. They all felt a sense of sorrow for a moment since they never did and will never have the chance to meet the real man that inspired this illusion.

"Regardless, we're going," Usopp finally said, leaving no room for argument.

Just as he said that a giant fireball exploded behind them. It actually shook the entire ship and caused some of the Strawhats to hold on for their lives.

"Looks like Ace is really turning up the heat," Sabo noted in a deadpan voice.

Silk growled in frustration as she looked past Zoro. She really had no time for this.

"Pay attention to your opponent," Zoro said coldly as he attempted to cut Silk's side.

She easily blocked the slash and was able to pin Zoro in place. "You're just as good as Luffy predicted. At this rate, we could go all night."

"I hardly have that type of time," Zoro stated as he pulled away. Dammit, didn't these dream people ever get tired?

"The same," Silk said as she lifted her sword. Without any further warning she slammed her sword down with enough force that it lifted the entire deck around Zoro, knocking him off his feet. That was all the time she needed as she jumped off the ship and ran towards the battle.

"Dammit, I was careless," Zoro cussed, half frustration and half admiration.

Sabo cussed under his breath as he went after Silk.

"We better go after them," Sanji said as the rest of the Strawhats jumped off the burning ship.

Meanwhile, Luffy was currently hiding from his brother in a nearby snow bank. It wasn't because he was afraid of Ace. He could never be afraid of his older brother, even now. But he just couldn't fight him. Not like this. The longer this went on, the more he was reminded of Akainu's fighting style, which was burning everything and everyone to the ground. In fact, Ace himself seemed to become like Akainu. What was happening?

"Stop hiding and fight!" Ace yelled as he lit the entire area on fire, blasting Luffy out of his hiding place.

"Ace, stop this!" Luffy pleaded for sanity as he used his Armament Haki to protect himself from the waves of fire. That was way too close since Ace could have easily burnt him alive. For a dream, the pain felt very real.

"Then fight me!" Ace challenged as he shot several fire fists at him. "Is this is all your training has amounted to in two years! What a disgrace. Rayleigh wasted those years for nothing. You're still the hopeless weakling I left in Goa Kingdom!"

Luffy flinched at the harsh words coming from his brother's mouth. Part of the reason why he wanted to become stronger was because of what happened to Ace. To hear Ace demean him like this hurt more than the fire he was throwing.

"I can't...Ace please don't make me do this," Luffy pleaded.

Ace's body burnt a bright orange. "Great pirates don't beg!" He then hammered Luffy with several fire punches to his chest. "Do you believe that you can become the Pirate King with such a weak heart! That's why you failed at both Impel Down and Marineford! You're nothing but a pathetic weakling who I wasted my life saving!"

Luffy's eyes widened in shock as he dodged another fire fist. He knew the words that Ace was speaking all too well. They were the same words that he had been saying to himself since that terrible day at Marineford. Even after all his training, he still feared failing again. That he would never be strong enough to protect his crew and he was the one who should have died on that battlefield.

As painful as it was having his own doubts repeated back towards him, it made him face a cold reality. His real brother would have never talked to him like this. Ace could be a hard ass and get under his skin, especially while training, but he had never purposely ripped him apart like this. As much as this man looked and acted like Ace, this wasn't his older brother. This was just another part of his mind. Essentially, he had been talking to himself these last couple of weeks.

As those realizations hit Luffy, his eyes narrowed in determination. During the entire time, Ace never stopped his storm of punches. Luffy used this moment to concentrate his Haki into his own fist and slammed it into Ace's jaw with all his might. Ace went flying backwards for a moment before he quickly caught himself.

Ace gave him a cocky smile. "Not bad, but it will take more than one punch to kill me!"

Luffy was near tears. "Ace..." The memories of Marineford came back to him again. A part of his mind or not, this entire situation sucked.

"Don't you dare hold back. Because I won't!" Ace exclaimed as he rushed Luffy again.

Silk was able to follow the battle from the pure destruction of the area. Before she could interfere, however, Sabo cut her off.

"That's far enough, Silk," Sabo said as he held her off with his bo.

"I don't understand either of you two," Silk said hatefully. "I'm fighting for our lives. For our world."

"Maybe so, but we're fighting for something far more important," Sabo answered.

Silk's narrowed her eyes. "What's more important than living?"

"The fact that you have to ask is proof that you know nothing about us," Sabo stated coldly.

"Your death will be meaningless," Silk stated as she readied her swords. "Luffy can just recreate you once all this is over."

Sabo raised an eyebrow. "Girl, you're crazy. What part of Luffy's mind did you crawl out from anyway?"

Silk gave a loud battle yell as she engaged Sabo in combat.

The Strawhats just made it to the main battle as Luffy and Ace began to fight evenly. Luffy was no longer just defending himself as he kicked Ace in the gut. This proved to be a mistake, however, when Ace reached over and burnt Luffy's leg.

"Even after all that training Luffy did, they're still evenly matched," Chopper said in awe.

"This is Luffy's dream and in his mind Ace has always been stronger than him," Zoro observed.

"Then how can he win?" Usopp asked in worry.

"As Zoro said, this is Luffy's dream," Robin said. "If he truly wants to win, then he will beat Ace."

Nami frowned. "But can Luffy really kill Ace like this?"

"If he doesn't, he will die," Sanji said casually, despite the fact he was shaking. He really needed a cigarette. Too much crap had happened for him not to have his nicotine fixed. "Ace didn't give him much choice in the matter."

Another explosion caught their attention and Luffy was knocked back several feet.

"Gum Gum Jet Pistol!" Luffy yelled as he activated Gear Second on his right arm and shot his fist forward.

Ace dodged it, but before he burned another body part Luffy followed the attack with a Jet Stomp that nailed Ace in the face.

Before Ace could recover, Luffy was on him within moments. "Gum Gum Jet Gatling!" Despite the speed of the attacks, Ace was able to evade most of them.

"Is that's all you got!" Ace yelled as he sent a tornado of fire at Luffy. It was so big that it nearly covered the entire area.

Luffy's eyes widened in horror as he ran for dear life out of the way of the fiery twister. The ice around him had long since melted and he was ankle deep in near boiling water, which was greatly slowing him down.

"Whoa, this fight is getting dangerous," Franky said as he felt the heat from the attack.

"Shouldn't we help?" Usopp asked.

"No, for better and for worse this is Luffy's fight," Zoro said with his arms crossed. He looked as impassive as ever, but anyone that really knew him could see the sadness in his eye. He was certain that Luffy would win, but he knew it would come at a great price.

Sabo and Silk were still going at it on a nearby hillside. Silk attempted to break a way several times, but Sabo was able to easily head her off.

"Dammit, why can't I pass you?" Silk asked in frustration.

Sabo smirked at her. "I'm your captain, remember?"

"Once you decided to end our world, you stop being my captain," Silk growled.

"What are you anyway?" Sabo asked again. "You're too selfish to be any part of Luffy's mind."

"I'm the guardian of this world," Silk said. "I was created to assure everyone's existence. Even yours."

"How touching," Sabo said dryly.

"Don't you understand!" Silk yelled. "How can a dream exist without the dreamer? Are you trying to destroy that boy's mind?"

"You're not even really a part of Luffy," Sabo countered. "You're just a tool created by the power of that boy's Devil Fruit. What do you know what's best for the dreamer?"

Another rumbled filled the air.

"Don't you understand!" Silk screamed. "We're all going to die unless we stop that fight!"

Sabo casually shrugged. "It won't be the first time, apparently."

Silk growled as she ran in again to finish the blond-haired.

Luffy huffed in exhaustion as he looked up towards his brother. Even after all that power Ace released, he didn't seem winded at all.

"What's wrong?" Ace asked as he approached his brother. "This is your mind. You should have beaten me by now. Or, was I right about you being a weakling?"

Luffy shook his head. "I can't kill you." Even now, he couldn't bring himself to kill Ace. He kept trying telling himself that Ace was already dead and this man wasn't his brother, but it still wasn't enough to make him want to murder him.

"As I said before you don't have a choice," Ace said as his body lit up. "When are you going to accept that I'm already dead?"

"But...you're alive here," Luffy said automatically.

"I'm a creature of your mind," Ace said harshly. "I'm nothing more than a shadow of the man you knew as your brother. You have to accept that reality."

Luffy felt his chest burn for a moment and he looked down to see the shadow of his 'X' shaped scar. He was then once again seized by memories of the war. No, he didn't want to think about that now.

Ace glare at him as an earthquake began to shake the island. "You can't hide from the truth anymore. It's time for you to wake up!" He threw a ball of fire at Luffy, who barely dodged.

The earthquake became more violent as the landscape around them began to alter and change before everyone's eyes and the winter island began to disappear.

"What happening now?" Chopper asked fearfully.

"Strawhat is changing his dream," Toby said as he looked around. "But I think he's doing it unconsciously."

Soon the winter island morphed into place where tall buildings stood and hundreds of people suddenly appeared. They looked to be a mix of marines and pirates fighting. It was complete and utter chaos as gunfire, cannonballs, and explosions filled the air. Even the day had shifted from night to late afternoon.

"Where the hell are we?" Franky asked as he looked around. He just barely dodged a stray cannonball.

"It looks to be some kind of war," Brook said as he looked around among the chaos.

Robin's eyes widened in realization. "This is Marineford."

All the Strawhats looked at Robin in surprise.

"Marineford does that mean..." Nami couldn't finish the sentence.

"It seems so Nami-swan," Sanji said grimly. "Luffy is relieving the final moments of his brother's life."

"It must be a reaction from his current stress," Toby said, mostly to himself. "Being forced to kill his brother must have forced his mind to remember this day so strongly that it has altered the dream world itself."

Luffy was horrified by the change of landscape. "No..."

"It's fitting that we are to return here," Ace mused poetically. "This really is a full circle moment."

"I can't..." Luffy whispered.

"Do it, Luffy," Ace encouraged coldly. "Finish me and end this denial once and for all."

"I CAN'T MURDER MY BROTHER!" Luffy screamed.

"It isn't murder when the person is already dead, you idiot!" Ace yelled back as he charged Luffy again.

This time Luffy blocked the fist of fire with his Haki infused hand. The two stood deadlock for a moment.

"You can't stay here any longer," Ace said harshly. "You crew needs you. Don't stay here and wallow in the past, especially when you have such a grand future ahead of you."

Luffy was in tears. "But...it's so hard to let go. Especially after everything that has happened."

For the first time since the fight started, Ace's face softened. For a moment, he looked very much like the older brother Luffy had come to admire and love. His face was a mix of pity, sadness, and regret, but Luffy could also see the determination in Ace's eyes. He wouldn't turn back. It was either kill or be killed at this very moment.

"I know. Truthfully, I would give anything to stay here as well and go back to the way things were. But our time together has long since passed. This is where we go our separate ways," Ace said as he pulled back a little and left himself wide opened. Luffy knew what he wanted him to do and he felt physically sick. The memories were become more vivid and were affecting everything around them.

"Be brave, you're my little brother," Ace said with a smiled. "I know you can do this."

Tears fell down Luffy's face as he used his free hand to shoot his arm behind his back. He twisted his arm several times until it was nice and taut. He then closed his eyes as he forced his Haki into his arm, turning it into a shiny black.

All the Strawhats knew that this was the finishing blow.

Silk looked up in horror when she saw this. "Don't do it!"

Sabo turned his eyes over to the scene and gave a grim smile. "There you go, Luffy."

"Ace...forgive me," Luffy whispered as his arm also began to emit stream. "Gum Gum Jet Rifle!" He then let go and his fist flew at nearly an invisible speed.

_"Well, we will decide the future things in the future," Ace said as he carried a large bottle of sake towards his two brothers. "Maybe we'll end up on three different ships." He then gently sat the bottle down by three red cups on an old tree stomp._

_Luffy gasped in surprise. "Did you steal that liquor from Dadan?" She hated when any of them went through her secret stash._

_Ace smiled as he reached over to open the bottle. "Did you know, when men drink together, they become brothers?" He then popped the cap off and began to fill each of the cups._

_"Brothers?" Luffy asked in awe. "Really!"_

_Sabo gave a big toothy grin as he watched Ace finish pouring the sake._

_"Maybe we'll not be pirates on the same ship, but we are united by our bond of brotherhood," Ace stated with a big smile that was rare for him. "No matter what we do or where we are, no one will ever break that bond!"_

_They all excitedly grabbed a cup._

_Ace smiled became ever wider as he held up his cup. "From now on, we are brothers!"_

_They all slammed their cups together before drinking the sake, sealing their eternal bond of brotherhood._

Within the next moment, Luffy's fist erupted through Ace's chest, causing blood to splatter across the war torn ground.


	17. Even in Death...

Even with his eyes closed Luffy could feel the warm blood rushing through his arm. He could also feel all too well the hole he had created in his precious brother's chest as Ace struggled to breath.

Silk's mouth fell opened in shock as she watched the entire scene.

Sabo's face was emotionlessly as he watched Ace's body become still.

The Strawhats were left equally speechless for several minutes as their minds took in what had happened.

"Did he just..." Usopp sputtered.

"He tore right through his chest," Franky finished. The fist that Luffy used to impale Ace was covered in blood.

"Luffy-san," Brook whispered. The pure agony in his captain's body language was all too familiar to him.

Without opening his eyes Luffy slowly pulled his arm free of Ace's chest. The smell of blood was sickening and he remembered all too well the gushing noise that Akainu made when he ruthlessly pulled his own fist out. There was no smell of burnt skin and blood, thankfully, but that hardly helped.

"That...that was perfect...Luffy," Ace whispered with a hint of pride as he fell forward into Luffy's arms. Luffy immediately caught him and gently lowered him to the ground.

"Ace..." Luffy whispered in a broken voice.

"To think I died twice in your arms," Ace laughed humorlessly. "I'm...a terrible brother."

"Don't say that!" Luffy yelled in tears as Ace's blood poured freely on the ground.

Sabo and Silk slowly approached the scene along with the Strawhats.

"Why?" Silk asked. "Why did you allow this to happen? We could have all lived happily together in this world."

Ace chuckled. "Perhaps, but it wasn't what Luffy needed."

Silk shook his head. "So, you laid down you life for him?"

"I've died for my baby brother once. Why wouldn't I do it again?" Ace questioned.

This caused Luffy to sob louder.

The Strawhats looked at each other as they took in this information. They didn't know the exact details of Ace's death, but it never occured to them that Ace sacrificed himself like this to save Luffy. The fact that an illusion was so willing to do the same without a moment of hesitation spoke volumes of the bond the brothers shared. It was like a piece of Ace continued to protect Luffy, even from himself.

"Indeed, Luffy is our brother," Sabo said. "Our time in life has passed. It isn't fair for us to gain a second chance while Luffy is made to give up everything he has worked for." He then gave Luffy a big smile. "He's going to be the Pirate King, not some hopeless dreamer."

Ace nodded. "And I know you'll achieve your dream, because you're my brother."

Luffy began to sob even louder. It was very much like Ace's final words in real life. "You...you didn't have to do any of this. I..."

"You would have never been truly happy here," Ace said sternly. "Your goals are far too big to be imprisoned by grief and regret."

"But it isn't fair!" Luffy exclaimed as he held Ace's body tighter. "Time was taken from us and the people who caused all this are…." He felt sick and angry at thinking about how Akainu was even more powerful within the marines.

"We're pirates, Luffy," Sabo said as he patted his shoulder. "Life just sucks some times."

The Strawhats looked at each other over the odd choice of words. They then quickly remembered that Sabo was actually a part of Luffy and Luffy has never been a poet.

Ace's breathing was becoming more labored and his eyes also became less focus. "You remember that day, don't you Luffy? The day when we sealed our brotherhood."

Luffy silently nodded.

"I said that day that no matter what we do or where we are, no one will ever break our bond of brotherhood," Ace said softly. "Those words still hold true. Nothing can ever break our bond. Not even death. We are a part of you Luffy, just as you were a part of us in life."

Sabo nodded in agreement as he reached his hand over and put it near Ace and Luffy. Ace then put his hand over Sabo's. Luffy looked between the two and understood the gesture. He then reached over and added his hand to finish out the trio.

There were no words spoken and no words were needed. Dream or reality, life or death, they were brothers. Nothing and no one could ever change that one fact. They were united in both spirit and mind and not even the elitists of the world or the strongest marine could sever that bond. For the first time in nearly two years, Luffy truly felt a sense of peace.

Ace gave one last smile before his body finally went limp and fell into Luffy's arms. On his face was a frozen smile, showing that he had once again died in peace. By all accounts, it looked like he had just fallen asleep.

Luffy looked down at his brother's lifeless body and hugged him. "See you later...Ace..."

Silk had to cover her face as tear began to fell from her eyes. Even she was moved.

Luffy suddenly began to chuckle softly as he looked at Ace. "This...this is the second time he died with a smile on his face..." His chuckles slowly began to turn into harsh sobs. "No matter how strong I become, I can never save him. Not even in a dream."

Nami wanted to run over and comfort her captain, but Sabo beat her to it as he leaned over and hugged Luffy from his back. He also looked shattered by grief, but kept his composure for Luffy's sake.

Toby shook his head in disbelief. "Amazing. I never thought a dream figure could act selflessly. It seems that the bond they form in life was so strong that it carried over even here."

"It's far more than that," Zoro said as he attempted to keep his face neutral. He couldn't even imagine the pain his captain was in by being force to relive his brother's death. "A piece of their souls are forever a part of Luffy. When Luffy created this world, he put those souls into his brothers. That's why they acted in Luffy's best interest instead of their own."

"How could you know such a profound thing?" Sanji asked, surprised by Zoro's insight.

"I don't believe in god or an afterlife, but I do believe that one's soul continues to live within a person or thing that one valued in life," Zoro said as he gently touched his Wado Ichimonji. "The human will, if strong enough, does not disappear with the body."

"Is is really possible for a piece of someone's soul to exist within another person like this?" Franky asked in awe.

"As someone who has died and returned, all things are possible when it comes to the human heart," Brook said somberly. "I can't explain it, but when I returned, I actually felt myself carrying the dreams and hopes of my crew within my very being. Even now it seems that they live within me and not just as memories."

Toby said nothing. He didn't know a thing about brotherhood, souls, and death but it all sounded right nonetheless. Something told him that he had just witnessed a rare event and he may never see such a thing again even if he lived another one-hundred years.

This turn of events didn't surprise Robin, however. If a zombie could regain their heart and soul, if even for a moment, then why couldn't the spirits of their loved ones exist within them?

"Did...did we really do the right thing?" Chopper asked as he continued to watch the heartbreaking scene. He recalled his own pain when he had watched his adoptive father die before his eyes.

Before anyone could answer, the world began to shake again.

"Now what's happening?" Franky asked in annoyance.

"With the anchor to this world gone, this dream can no longer exist," Toby said. "Soon, everything will disappear into the void."

True to Toby's words, the ground began to tear apart and the fighting marines and pirates began to disappear.

"We have to leave," Toby informed the Strawhats.

"But what about Luffy?" Usopp asked, never letting his eyes leave his captain.

"He'll be fine," Toby insisted. "However, we'll be sucked into the dream void if we stay any longer."

Before they could give any further argument, Toby slapped his hands together and a blue glow surrounded the Strawhats. Within seconds, they were gone, leaving only Luffy, Sabo, and Silk to witness the end of the dream.

"Tell me, are you really happy about this?" Silk questioned.

Sabo nodded. "I have no regrets."

Silk seemed satisfied with the answered and turned around to leave. Soon, she too disappeared into the void.

"Sabo?" Luffy whispered.

"Yes," Sabo answered softly.

"Do you hate me?" Luffy asked.

Sabo looked at Luffy in surprise. "How can you ask that?"

"I know you're not the real Sabo, but do you hate me for not being able to save our brother?" Luffy asked as he looked at Ace's peaceful face.

"Luffy, I nor the real Sabo could ever come to hate you," Sabo said sternly. "You did everything within your power to save Ace. Nothing more could have been asked."

"But I wasn't strong enough," Luffy whispered. "If I was, I could have..."

"The time for ifs has long passed," Sabo said. "You can only look towards the future now. But remember you're not alone. You have your crew and you still have us."

Luffy looked at his older brother as tears continue to run down his cheeks. "Even in death?"

Sabo smile and nodded. "Even in death."

The remaining two brothers embraced each other as the last of the world crumbled around them. Luffy wasn't sure how much time had passed as he held Ace in his arms and Sabo wrapped him tighter in his embrace. It, however, didn't really matter. It was a moment frozen in time.

* * *

Zoro jolted awake, feeling like he had been asleep for days. His vision was extremely blurry and he felt a little nauseous. He also had trouble remembering what had happened. Everything felt like some sort of dream.

"Toby, are you okay?" a somewhat familiar voice asked.

Zoro looked up to see John hovering over his son, holding him with great gentleness. He suddenly remembered what had happened and looked over to the rest of his crew. They were all coming out of their dreamlike state and looked no worse for wear. Although, they all looked a little tired.

"Oh, I feel like I just woke up from a bad hangover," Franky said as he rubbed his head.

"How long were we out?" Nami asked as she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts.

"The better part of nine hours," John answered bluntly.

Nami was shocked by the answer. "Nine hours!"

"We did spend weeks within Luffy's dream," Robin said as she rubbed her eyes. "As Toby said, we had no concept of time."

"If we were asleep for so long, why are we still so sleepy?" Usopp asked as he blinked several times. "It feels like I've been up for days."

"It's an aftereffect of my power," Toby mumbled.

"Toby, you're alright now?" John asked as he slowly loosened his grip on his son.

Toby gave an affirmative nod.

"What kind of aftereffect?" Chopper asked once he regained his senses. Exhausted or not, he had to maintain the health of his crew.

"My powers put a person into a dreamlike sleep, but it doesn't give restful sleep since you don't actually go through a full sleep cycle," Toby explained slowly as he gave a big yawn. "You guys will need to sleep naturally for at least a day to recover."

Zoro's eye widened as he remembered about Luffy. He looked over towards his captain and saw that he was still deeply asleep. "The hell, why isn't he awake!"

"Given how long he has been in the dream world, he won't wake up that quickly," Toby said as he gave another loud yawn. Obviously, using his powers like this had greatly drained his strength. Since he was the one who started all of this mess to begin with, however, Zoro couldn't muster up too much pity for the boy.

Chopper walked over to check Luffy's vitals and to make sure he was truly alright. During his checkup, he saw tears beginning to fell from Luffy's eyes. "He...He's crying."

All the Strawhats turned towards their captain and gave him a sympathetic look.

"Will he really be okay after this?" Nami asked as she walked over to take a seat next to Luffy. She then began to absently stroke his brow.

"Being forced to relieve your worst memory isn't easy," Brook observed solemnly. "But we can get him through this."

Usopp shook his head. "Even so..."

Before Usopp could finish his sentence, Luffy began to stir. All movement stopped as the Strawhats watched their captain slowly wake up. Luffy's eyes were glazed over and were very red. It was hard to tell if it was from sleeping too long or from grief. Most likely, it was a little bit of both.

Luffy looked confused for a moment as he took noticed of his arm that had all the IVs in it. He then began to look around the infirmary as if he was looking for something. He didn't appear to take any notice of his crew, which increased their worries.

"Luffy?" Robin asked softly to gain her captain's attention.

Luffy turned towards the archaeologist as if he was seeing her for the first time. "Robin..." His voice was very hoarse and cracked even from that one word.

"Luffy, how are you feeling?" Chopper asked in concern. Everything appeared to be stable, but one could never be too careful. Luffy was still far too pale and weak for his liking.

Luffy paused in thought as he searched for the right words. "I feel….I feel like I've been asleep for a couple of days."

Usopp chuckled. "You would be right about that."

Luffy looked around a little longer before he finally reached some type of conclusion. "Ace, Sabo...so it was just a dream."

The broken tone of their captain's voice was nearly too much to bear.

"Yeah, it was," Sanji answered for the lack of anything better to say.

Luffy sank lower into his covers. "I suspected it the entire time, but I wanted it to be real. For awhile, I had my brothers back."

There was another long paused in the room.

"Do you regret what we've done?" Zoro asked, although he already knew the answer. Nonetheless, it was important to hear the words from Luffy's own mouth for the sake of the crew.

Luffy shook his head. "I know it was for the best...but still..." He completely lost his train of thought. In all honesty, he wasn't sure how he should feel at the moment.

Toby broke away from his father's grip and carefully walked over towards the bed. He made sure to keep his head down the entire time. "Strawhat, it was my fault that you were forced to make such a harsh choice. I...I meant you no harm when I put you into that dream world and I didn't think things would go as far as it did. Please, forgive me."

Luffy slowly sat up so he could get a better look at the young boy. Chopper quickly changed into his Heavy Point to help support his captain. It has been days since Luffy had used his muscles and he was extremely unsteady.

"What's your name?" Luffy asked once he could clearly see Toby.

Toby wasn't sure what to make of Luffy's expression. He had expected the Strawhat captain to be angry for his actions. Instead, his expression was completely blank and emotionless.

"My name is Toby…..sir," Toby said in his bravest voice.

"Why did you try to steal our pirate mark anyway?" Luffy questioned further.

Toby shifted his feet around. "It was a dare from the other kids. I wanted to fit in," he added under his voice.

Luffy still didn't show any emotions, which unnerved Toby even more.

All the Strawhats kept a close eye on their captain since he tended to be the most unpredictable when he was like this.

John also watched Luffy carefully for any sudden reaction. Regardless of the young captain's appearance, he was still a wanted pirate with an extremely high bounty. "My son made a mistake, which was why he helped your crew bring you back from your dream. He has already paid for his mistake. If you want further atonement, then you can take it up with me."

Toby looked at his father in shock. "Dad!"

John didn't look at his son as he kept his focus completely on Luffy.

Luffy said nothing for a moment as he lowered his head, effectually covering his eyes with his bangs. "You own me no atonement. In fact...I wanted to say thank you."

This statement took Toby, John, and even some of his crew off-guard.

"Strawhat..." Toby whispered.

"Even if it was for a short time, I got to see my brothers one more time. I even got the chance to say goodbye to Sabo properly," Luffy said as his voice began to crack as tears began to form in his eyes again. "For that, I'm forever grateful. So...thank you so very much." He finally broke down into tears.

Toby was completely lost for words. There were many things he was expecting from the pirate captain, but that wasn't one of them. He was just forced to symbolically kill his brother and watch his ideal world collapse. Most people would be pissed and demanding some kind of vengeance. Never would a person in his position be thankful.

Sanji looked towards the stun boy and gave a small smile. "That's just our captain. It's pointless to try to figure him out."

Luffy suddenly began to fall forward and Chopper had to redouble his efforts to keep him up right.

"Sleepy..." Luffy muttered under his breath. He just realized how exhausted he felt even though he had just woken up. It even surpassed his hunger, something he thought was physically impossible.

"You haven't slept properly in nearly six days," Chopper said gently as he lowered Luffy back into bed. "You need to rest."

Luffy nodded, but he didn't appear to be paying too much attention to the reindeer. "I wonder if I'll see them again in my dream?" he muttered before he allowed himself to drag back to sleep.

Nami sighed as she shook her head. "We all need to rest too."

"Can't, someone need to keep watch of the ship," Zoro said as he fought to stay awake himself. Now that he knew his captain was finally safe, it was becoming impossible to keep his eye opened.

"There's no need," John said. "Jackson and the others can look over your ship until you leave."

Zoro gave him a skeptical look. "Given that the people around here want to kill us, I don't trust you so willingly."

"As long as you keep your promise to leave peacefully and not reveal our secret, there's no need for betrayal," John said firmly. "I will even stay on your ship as a prisoner if that will make you feel better."

Zoro stared at the older man for a moment before he finally shook his head. "Just promise us that they won't shot at us."

John gave a small chuckle before he turned towards Toby. "Let's go. You need to recover your strength as well. We also need to have a long talk."

The two began to make their way out of the infirmary, but Toby stopped a little short of the door. He then turned towards the Strawhats and looked over each of them.

"Tell Strawhat that I hope he gets well soon and I hope he achieves his true dream someday," Toby said before he turned around to leave with his father.

"Hard to believe that such a timid boy caused all of this," Brook said more to himself.

"That's what happens when one so young is given so much power," Franky said. "He better shape up soon because the next group he does this to may not be as forgiven."

"What's done is done," Zoro said as he leaned against a nearby wall. Without further notice, he quickly fell asleep.

"Seems some things never change," Nami muttered.

No one really had the strength to tease the swordsman further as they all settled down. It was nice to finally have some real sleep again.


	18. What I Miss

For the next three days, the Strawhats rested at the harbor of the city. True to John's word, the guards made no move to attack the ship, but they also made sure that none of the pirates could leave the harbor either. Benevolent or not, they weren't going to trust pirates to walk freely around the city, especially a pirate crew that justifiably could have a grudge against them.

Sanji had been the only one allowed to go into the market for supplies, but several armed soldiers escorted him everywhere. He didn't mind the soldiers too much since the people tended to give him dirty looks and some even looked ready to attack him. He couldn't wait until his captain was well enough so they could finally leave this place. It wasn't like he could go around and check out the ladies anyway.

Luffy, for his part, woke up a little over a day after the incident. He had a sever migraine and had to take several strong painkillers that put him down for another day, but he was fine overall and was fully awake today.

He was, however, ungodly hungry even by his standards. Within only a couple of hours, he practically exhaled everything edible on the ship, which was why they needed to go shopping. No one really minded for once since they were just happy to have their captain back.

"Chopper, really I'm fine," Luffy whined as he leaned into his chair. Despite all the bed rest, he was still low on energy and couldn't run around and play like usual. He was also still suffering the aftereffect of his migraine.

"Even so, you still need to take your medicine," Chopper said firmly. "It will help rebuild your muscles faster after you have been bedridden for so long. Not to mention help reduce the pain I know you're still in."

Luffy frowned at the young doctor's words. He knew he needed to take his medicine to get better, but Chopper's medicines were infamous for their bitter taste. The fact that they have gotten even worst in the last couple of years still amazed him. "But that stuff taste nasty."

"Of course. That's how you know the medicine is good," Chopper said in a matter-of-fact voice, repeating the words of his adoptive father.

Luffy pouted further. "Couldn't you make anything that taste sweet?"

"Stop whining and take the medicine," Zoro said, mildly annoyed by the back and forth. "Just take it all in one gulp."

"But I don't want to," Luffy complained as he stuck his tongue out.

"I will go over there and pour it down your throat if you don't do it," Zoro warned.

He knew he was being harsher than usual, but Luffy still looked unwell. The color hadn't returned to Luffy's cheeks and despite all the food he had eating today he still hadn't regained the weight he had lost. Chopper said it was a common aftereffect from being in a coma, but Zoro was still concern. If they were going to head back into the New World soon, they couldn't afford to have their captain in a cripple state.

Luffy muttered something under his breath as he allowed Chopper to put the spoonful of medicine into his mouth. He took Zoro's advice and swallowed it all at once, but they still didn't help the bitter aftertaste.

"Here, this should help it go down better," Nami said as she tossed something at Luffy.

Luffy easily caught it and looked down in surprise. "You're giving me one of your tangerines?" He knew Nami acted a little nicer since they came back together, but she still rarely shared her prized fruit.

"Don't get used to it," Nami said sternly, but there was a slight smile on her face. "You need the energy since we will be setting sail soon. Besides, you need to know what good tangerines taste like."

She attempted to eat Luffy's version of her favorite fruit when they were in his dream and it was abominable to say the least. She could only explain it as Luffy never having good fruit or him never having a tangerine at all before now. She didn't even realize until she bitten into that god-awful fruit that she had never actually given one of her tangerines to Luffy.

Luffy wasn't sure what was going on, but he hardly cared. He gave a wide smile as he peeled off the skin. "Thank you, Nami," he said as he bit into the sweet orange.

Zoro gave Nami a curious look, but said nothing.

"I'm back, Nami-swan and Robin-chwan!" Sanji yelled excitedly. He was carrying several bags of food. Usopp and Franky were also helping him carry in some of the supplies since they didn't want the soldiers on the ship.

"Oh Sanji, did you buy anymore meat!" Luffy yelled.

Sanji gave Luffy a cold glare. "This stuff is going into storage until we leave, so you can't have any."

Luffy pouted in disappointment. "You're so mean."

"I hope you bought some more sake," Zoro remarked.

"Go and support your own alcoholic addiction," Sanji scolded.

Zoro looked like he wanted to go down to the lower deck and kill the other man, but decided not to play their usual game. It was mostly because he noticed that Luffy got weak on his knees again and was forced to sit down by Chopper. He could also see the far a way look on Luffy's face.

"Chopper, why don't go help the love cook bring the food in," Zoro suggested.

Chopper looked towards the older man for a moment. Over the years he had gotten better in reading human subtlety. He knew by the way Zoro was looking at him that he wanted to be alone with Luffy.

"No problem. Luffy should be stable," Chopper said before he turned his attention back towards his captain. "No sudden movements and call me if your fever returns." He then left to help the others.

Zoro waited until Chopper was out of range before addressing his captain. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Luffy hid his eyes within the brims of his hat. "There isn't much to talk about it."

"You and I both know that's bullshit," Zoro said bluntly.

Luffy gave a long sigh. Zoro could read him too well some times. Just like his brothers. "It's strange. I know all of this is real, but it still feels like I'm dreaming in a way. Like I will wake up one day and I will be back in the dream world. That Ace and Sabo will be there to greet me and things will return to normal."

"You did spend what you thought were weeks in your dream," Zoro said. "It would be hard to just let it all go."

"I guess..." Luffy muttered.

Zoro knew something else was bothering Luffy. "Do you miss the dream world that much?"

There was a long silenced that followed.

"I do miss it because I miss my brothers." Luffy said slowly. "But I guess I feel a little ashamed at the same time."

Zoro waited patiently for Luffy to continue.

It was a couple more seconds before Luffy did go on. "I feel ashamed that in time, I did forget about you guys. I began to believe that this was a dream and you guys were happier since you've achieved your goals. So, I put you guys out of my mind. It was like..."

"There is nothing for you to be ashamed of," Zoro said, stopping Luffy mid-sentence. "You thought we were happy because you cared about us enough to make us achieve our dreams. That world was created by your own desires and that was one of them."

"But you don't understand," Luffy said harshly. "It was just like the last time I've forgotten you guys."

Zoro looked surprise by this revelation.

"When...when we were separated by Kuma, I thought of nothing but returning to all of you," Luffy said as he looked into the cloudy sky. "But when I learned Ace was in danger, I made a choice. I choose to save him over reunited with my crew. When Boa helped me to break into Impel Down, I made a conscious choice to forget about all of you."

Luffy looked down at his hands as he remembered the events of the underwater prison. The thought of what could had been done to Ace within that place still made him ill. Pirate or not, that place was just wrong. "I chose to forget about you guys because I realized in that moment that I was truly alone. That I could depend only on myself to save my brother. I couldn't waste time thinking about my crew and how you could of helped me because you weren't there."

Zoro's face was blank, but Luffy's words cut deeper than any sword wound. He couldn't blame his captain for forgetting them. If he was put into a similar situation, he would have undoubtedly done the same for his own sanity.

What hurt the most, however, was the fact that they weren't there. This was actually the first time he had heard of Luffy breaking into Impel Down. He had only heard stories about how it was man made hell, but Luffy actually saw and experience it first hand. He could only imagine the horrors that Luffy saw. There was also the added knowledge that since Luffy was part of the War of the Best, he had failed to save his brother while he was in prison. How heavily that must weigh on his captain's mind and heart.

He felt himself become curious on what Luffy really went through while they all struggling to escape their own respected islands.

"When...when Ace was killed, I felt my entire world shattered," Luffy confessed, breaking Zoro out of his thoughts. "I felt truly alone in the world and I was so angry at Ace." He felt hot tears beginning to form in his eyes. "It...it was me who was supposed to die that day. I even made peace with that fact when I asked Iva to give me more hormones. As long as Ace was safe, I didn't mind dying on that battlefield. None of you even came up as a factor in my decision."

Zoro's eyes widened for a moment, but kept his silences. This was far too important for him to interrupt.

"When I finally accepted that Ace had truly died, I honestly wanted to kill myself," Luffy said bluntly. "If left alone, I would had undoubtedly done it too. In my eyes, I had nothing left to live for. How can a man be the Pirate King when he couldn't even save his own family? It was actually Jimbi who reminded me that I still had all of you. That I wasn't left with nothing in the world. But...I simply...forgot."

Zoro didn't break his stare as Luffy finished his tale. It would seem that even after two years the pain was still very raw or maybe it was made raw again from Luffy's recent experience. In either case, his captain was in pain. The fact that someone with Luffy's nearly unbreakable will and spirit was pushed to the point of considering suicide was enough to nearly bring him to tears.

None of them would ever know the depths of what Luffy's went through those two years ago and that was the biggest tragedy of the entire thing. Unlike their other adventures together, none of them were there to support Luffy in his time of need. He had to face the death of his family alone while they remained blissfully unaware until long after the fact. Such a thing should never have happened. From Luffy's own words, even if they had rushed from where they were stranded, Luffy would had long ago succumb to his despair before any of them could reached him if it wasn't for Jimbi. They all owed a great debt to the former Warlord. Without him, Luffy truly would have been lost.

As angry as Zoro was at the entire situation, he knew nothing could be done about it. It was all in the past and they could only move forward, no matter how painful it could be at times. But he knew that there was something he could do now to help ease some of his captain's suffering. It went against his character, but he didn't particular care at the moment. When it came to Luffy, he had no problem setting aside his pride.

Without a word, Zoro stood up and walked over to Luffy, who was still staring down at his hands. The rubber captain was taken completely off-guard when Zoro suddenly pulled him in and gave him a tight hug. It was a little awkward at first since Zoro never displayed this kind of emotion before, but Luffy didn't fight against it as he buried his head into the older man's shoulder and cried.

They were silent sobs, but some of the crew took note of Luffy's shaking form as Zoro held him and gently rubbed his back. They chose not to interfere, however, since this was a private moment between the swordsman and the captain. Right now, Luffy needed the silent support over a concern crowd.

* * *

It was another two days before Chopper finally declared Luffy strong enough to set sail again. Luffy was more than happy to leave since he had grown bored of the island, especially since he couldn't even set foot on it. It was Zoro who informed Jackson that they were going to leave within the hour and everyone got the preparations ready.

"You do remember your end of the deal?" Jackson asked firmly as he stared at the boy captain. It still amazed him how young Luffy was despite his reputation.

"We promise not to tell anyone about your city," Luffy assured. "Besides, we have no issue with any of you."

Jackson knew that he had no choice but to take the pirates at their word. He wasn't in any position to enforce their promise, nor did he have the power to keep them from leaving. It was a situation he didn't care for, but he found himself believing the boy captain. Something told him that their secret was safe with them.

"Nonetheless, I find it hard to believe that you hold no grudge against Toby," Jackson said.

Luffy shrugged. "He didn't mean any harm and it all worked out in the end." He looked like he was going to say something more, but stopped himself short.

"Then, you can leave at any time," Jackson said with a small nod. "I hope you take no offense in me saying that I hope to never see any of you again."

"The feeling is neutral," Zoro said dryly.

Jackson turned to leave.

"Oh, if you see Toby, tell him I wish him luck in anything he do," Luffy suddenly said.

"Also tell him I hope he will learn to control his powers one day," Robin added. A part of her worried for the kid since he was more misguided than truly dangerous. It was hard for a fruit user to live a normal life, even among these seas.

Jackson nodded. "I'll tell him that." He then left the ship for the final time and had his soldier pull back.

Once everything was ready, the Strawhats opened the sails and were off again into the waters of the New World. The weather had decided to be merciful towards them for once and it was a clear sunny day.

Luffy smiled as he allowed the cool breeze hit him. He could feel a new adventure awaited them and he couldn't wait to experience it.

The rest of the crew was happy that Luffy's mood had picked up since his break down the other day. Even the strongest of them needed a good cry every now and again.

The day passed uneventfully and soon it was dinnertime. The meal was as loud and as chaotic as usual, but no one minded. They were whole again.

"I never realized how real things were until now," Luffy suddenly said, catching the rest of his crew's attention. "When I dreaming, I though it felt real. But now, I see how weightless I really was."

"It makes sense," Robin said in thought. "Dreams always feel real when you're in the moment. It's not until we awake that we come to realize how odd things actually were. Although, Toby's powers gave your dream an extra layer of realism that would normally be impossible under normal conditions."

"Yeah, but it was fun while it lasted," Luffy chuckled, but he still had a sad look in his eyes.

"Do you miss it?" Brook questioned as he stared at his captain.

Luffy paused in thought. "In some ways I do. But the thing I've come to miss most these last two years is being a brother."

"Being a brother?" Chopper repeated in confusion.

"I had two great older brothers. We went on many adventures together and we all trained to become pirates that would explore the world and gain fame," Luffy said in a far off voice. "When...when we lost Sabo, I still had Ace and he promised to never die on me. He had to protect his weak little brother, after all."

The crew could see the tears starting to form in Luffy's eyes again, but they didn't interrupt him. Even after all they've seen, they still didn't know all the detail of Ace's final moments. The only real information they have gained was that Ace saved Luffy's life in exchanged for his own. Given everything that Luffy had went through to save his brother, to have Ace end up saving him in the end much have been the thing that hurt Luffy most of all.

They may never know the details of everything that had occurred at Marineford, but that was fine by the Strawhats. If or when the time comes, Luffy would tell them. Until that day, they would all be by him to guide and support their captain, because he would do nothing less for any of them.

"But...that's all gone now," Luffy sighed in longing as he stared at the table. "I'm no one's baby brother anymore."

"Don't be ridiculous," Nami said firmly. "Have you forgotten about us?"

Luffy looked towards his navigator in confusion.

"We're your family, remember. So, you are our brother," Nami stated.

"Yeah, I'm your big brother Usopp," Usopp said proudly as he pointed to himself with a huge smile.

"Wow, does that mean I'm your little brother too?" Chopper asked excitedly.

Usopp nodded. "Of course. You're the baby brother of the group."

"Then who's the eldest, Zoro or Sanji?" Chopper asked.

"It's obvious that I'm the elder brother," Sanji said neutrally.

"Not a chance, dart board," Zoro said as he finished his sake. "I'm the eldest."

"Like hell, moss head. I'm older than you," Sanji countered.

"Maybe physically, but I'm definitely older mentally," Zoro said casually.

"Mister I Get Lost in a Straight Line, is more mature mentally, yeah right," Sanji mocked.

"Better to get lost in a straight line than to nearly bleed to death from looking at a pretty girl," Zoro mocked in return.

Within seconds, both of them were on each other.

"Both of you are a mentally immature," Nami muttered to herself.

Brook began to laugh. "I'm the oldest here, so I would actually be the eldest."

"You're too old to be a brother," Franky countered. "You're closer to a grandfather or something."

Robin shook her head at her crewmates' antics before she turned her attention back towards Luffy. "What Nami-chan is trying to say Luffy is that you may have lost one family, but you have gained another in its place," she said kindly, remembering her own acceptance into this strange family unit. "You're like a brother to all of us, so you are still someone's little brother. In fact, you're even a big brother now." She gestured towards Chopper who was helping Usopp break up the fight between Zoro and Sanji.

Franky began to sob. "Aw, you guys are going to make me cry."

"What would you be, Franky-san?" Brook asked the cyborg. "The father, maybe?"

"Like hell I want to be these people's father," Franky snapped, stopping his tears. "I'm closest to an uncle."

"What about Robin?" Brook questioned.

"She's the mother," Franky said dismissively.

Robin just chuckled at the statement.

"Are you trying to say we're a bunch of bastards?" Usopp asked in mild annoyance.

"Well, most of us have no idea who our fathers are," Nami said in thought. "Even those who do don't really know them."

"Huh, good point," Usopp said.

Luffy smiled as he looked over his crew at they continued to talk. Nami and Robin were right; he was still someone's brother. It wasn't quite the same, especially since they didn't exchange sake cups, but it didn't need to be. His crew couldn't replace his brothers, but his brothers couldn't replace his crew either. He loved them equally the same. Besides, he now knew that even in death his brothers were still with him.

Luffy then gently touched his scar chest. They lived within his heart and even his dreams.


	19. Bonus Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This bonus chapter was inspire by one of my reviewers when I completed this story months ago. It was meant to be its own one-shot, but given the nature of this chapter I thought it would work better as an add on. This chapter is my way of saying thank you to you all for reading, reviewing, and supporting this story and my other work. I hope you enjoy.
> 
> Now, onward to the chapter.

He knew something wasn't right. When Sabo pulled Luffy from the sea that day, he knew his life was some kind of lie. He didn't know how he could know such things since he clearly had memories of his life before that moment, but he could tell none of it was real.

Like his little brother, he denied it. He kept telling Luffy that everything was real and that he was sick. It broke his heart to see his baby brother so scared and confuse. He couldn't imagine the feeling of thinking that he was losing his mind. If it were him, he probably would had thrown himself into to the sea to end it all.

Not Luffy, however. His baby brother was strong, despite how he loved to tease him about his weaknesses. Despite his fear and confusion, he opened up to Sabo and him and told him about the crew he left behind. He could tell by Luffy's words that he loved each of them not just as a crew, but also as a family. Something told him he had a similar bond with someone else, but he could not make himself remember.

When they saw the doctor and he told him about that fish he felt relieved. He thought once Luffy's confusion had passed than his own doubts would go away. It didn't go well at first since Luffy thought he could 'wake' himself by tossing himself into the sea. His heart stopped when Sabo brought up Luffy's lifeless body. He thought for sure that Luffy was dead. Thank god that the doctor was able to bring him back.

Once his relief had settled in, he wanted to kill Luffy. How dare he scare him like that. Didn't he understand how empty his life would be without him? Although he would still have Sabo, he felt his world would crash without Luffy. Maybe that should have been the first sign that things were not right.

He found himself questioning many things during those days when Luffy was at the doctor. The uneasiness of his existence and Luffy's pain weighed heavily on his mind. Although Sabo never said it, he knew he felt it as well.

Maybe that was why he confronted Luffy and asked him how did he die in his dream world. Something told him if he knew that, than he would have his answer.

The answer, however, was denied him when Luffy closed Sabo's journal and said, "It doesn't matter."

After that, Luffy seemed happier. He seemed to have made peace with his dream and had accepted the real world. He no longer seemed conflicted when he talked to him and was really opened about many things. At that time he was happy and his previous uneasiness faded away.

They left that city on such a high note that he thought the darkest days were behind them, even if Luffy couldn't remember certain things. For the first couple of days, things were calm and easy. Then the nightmares started.

Almost every night, Luffy would wake up screaming his name and some times Sabo's. He would always wake up in a panic with tears running down his eyes. It always took more than an hour to calm him down. It was the worst feeling in the world holding Luffy's shivering form and being unable to do anything to help him.

He always asked what his nightmares were about, but Luffy always refused to tell. He would just go into himself and withdrawal from the world around him. Sabo didn't have much luck either reaching him.

Oddly on those nights, he too would have strange visions. For no reasons at all he have images of fire and magma and the pain of being burn. It happened quickly, but he felt it all the same. Somehow, he knew Luffy was connected to it, but Sabo had no such visions. Instead, Sabo said he feels empty in those moments before Luffy screamed.

They managed to hide most of it from the crew. The only one who seemed to suspect anything was Silk, but she was far from normal. She seemed kind enough, but he knew she was hiding something from all of them. Like she knew what the nightmares were and what was the pain that was tearing Luffy up inside. He, however, could never find the will to ask.

Weeks went by and things settled into normalcy. When they saw that snow island, he knew it would make Luffy happy. Ever since they were young, Luffy has always loved snow. He knew before Luffy even thought of it that he would declare a snow holiday. It was just like him.

He hoped the days in the snow would pick up Luffy's mood and it did during the day. At night, however, the nightmares always returned. God, it was painful to see Luffy like this. When would it end? Why couldn't things go back to normal?

Then again, what was normal? He had memories, but were they really real? It seemed odd to be questioning your own mind, especially when you weren't the one who was sick, but something in the back of his mind kept nagging him. Perhaps Luffy could feel it too, which was why he sometimes had that look of longing in his eyes.

Nonetheless, the snow days did improved Luffy's mood and the nightmares actually ceased after that first day. It seemed like it was a sign that they were all turning the corner. Then, they came.

He knew that none of them were who they said they were, but he felt himself go at ease the moment he heard Nami's name, although he didn't understand why at the time. Regardless, the party they had was more than worth it. It was the closest he has felt to his brothers in a long time and he never wanted that feeling to end.

Of course, it did. It did when the truth finally came and he understood why he always felt less than real.

It was because he wasn't real at all. He was a dream. A dream created by Luffy to help him deal with the death of his real brother. The real Ace died in a war, protecting his baby brother to the end. In his mind, he couldn't ask for a better death.

Luffy, however, never really got over his real brother's death, which was why he was now trapped within this dream. Even worst, Luffy couldn't bring himself to kill him since he was the source of the dream world. If he didn't die, then Luffy would be trapped here forever. Trapped in a world of denial and grief.

He couldn't have that.

With a simple look from Sabo, he understood too what had to be done. It maybe painful for Luffy, but it was the only right thing to do.

Before Luffy even knew what happened, he attacked.

"You said you couldn't kill me so I'm going to give you a choice. Either you fight and kill me or I'll take your life myself," he remembered saying to Luffy as he mercilessly attacked him.

Luffy's expression was pure torment. It took every ouch of his will to fight his little brother. A part of him screamed to stop, but he ignored that voice. He had to die in ordered for Luffy to be free. To him, that was more important than his existence.

Besides, what was his own life? Wasn't he nothing but a placeholder for the real Ace? He wasn't real, so why did this hurt so badly? He couldn't think about that now. He had to keep fighting for Luffy's sake.

And that was exactly what he did as he kept up the assault. Slowly, Luffy began to fight back and returned his hits.

"I can't...Ace please don't make me do this," Luffy wimped, begging him to end this insanity.

That voice torn into his soul, but he didn't allow Luffy to see that. "Great pirates don't beg!" he screamed as continued to attack his brother. "Do you believe that you can become the Pirate King with such a weak heart! That's why you failed at both Impel Down and Marineford! You're nothing but a pathetic weakling who I wasted my life saving!"

Those words were poison as they left his throat. It made him physically sick to even muttered such things to his precious brother. But it had to be done. Luffy couldn't see him as his dead brother. Luffy had to see him as an illusion. He had to accepted that he wasn't the real Ace.

The fight became more intense as Luffy fought back even harder, but it wasn't enough. Luffy still cling to the shadow of his brother.

"I can't kill you," Luffy said.

"As I said before you don't have a choice," he said as he fought the tears that threatened to run down his eyes. He couldn't show weakness. This was the only way things could be.

"When are you going to accept that I'm already dead?" he challenged coldly as he watched Luffy squirm against the question.

"But...you're alive here," Luffy answered.

He wanted to agree. He wanted to live here forever with his brothers, but he knew that could no longer happen. If he had anything of the real Ace within him, this was the only path he could take.

"I'm a creature of your mind," he said more to himself as he fought the memories and voice yelling into his mind. "I'm nothing more than a shadow of the man you knew as your brother. You have to accept that reality."

With those words, he could see the image of an 'X' shaped scare forming on Luffy chest and the earth began to shake. He knew that it was a sign that Luffy was coming to terms with the truth. He just had to push harder.

"You can't hide from the truth anymore. It's time for you to wake up!" he yelled as he attacked Luffy again.

In front of his eyes, the snow-covered island disappeared and in its place was the war torn battlefield of Marineford. He had to keep himself for laughing at the poetic irony. At the same time, however, he felt strangely honored. He was going to die on the same battlefield as the man he was based on. It made him feel more real.

Luffy was tormented by these changes of events, but he had come too far to stop now.

They fought again until they were in a deadlock and he could clearly see Luffy's bloodshot eyes. Why did he have to hurt his baby brother like this? Hadn't he suffered enough? What cruel god or deity would force such an innocent boy to relieve the worst moment of his life?

"You can't stay here any longer," he attempted to say coldly. "You crew needs you. Don't stay here and wallow in the past, especially when you have such a grand future ahead of you."

"But...it's so hard to let go. Especially after everything that has happened," Luffy said in a completely broken tone.

This was too much for him and he finally allowed his emotions to show. He wanted to apologize to Luffy about everything and to go back to the lives they had. It was a lie, but it was a good lie. It was a lie filled with happiness.

At that moment, he would have stepped down if it weren't for the flash of magma going through his chest, burning his insides.

Normally, such an image would cause a person to back down, but it only strengthened his resolved. He had to die here. If he didn't, he would dishonor the memory of the man who gave his life for his brother. To him, that was worst than living. He was a lie and he had no right to take this man's brother.

"I know. Truthfully, I would give anything to stay here as well and go back to the way things were. But our time together has long since passed. This is where we go our separate ways," he said with his final resolved. He left himself opened so Luffy could have a clear shot. This was the only way things could end. "Be brave, you're my little brother. I know you can do this."

It was strange. He knew that he wasn't real, but he couldn't think of Luffy as anything less than his brother. Maybe it was the memories and feelings created by the dream, but he really didn't care. This was his brother. The real Ace just had to deal with that.

He felt Luffy pulled back and he knew his end was in sight. When he died, where would he go? Would he simply stop existing? After all, he was just a shadow of an even greater man. Still, he wouldn't move.

"Ace...forgive me," he heard Luffy whispered before he shouted. "Gum Gum Jet Rifle!"

Within a faction of a second he felt a fist go clean through him. It hurt, but it was also a good pain. With his death, his brother would be free. As he felt his strength leave him, he saw an image of Sabo, Luffy, and him drinking sake. Dammit Luffy, why did he have to remember that?

However, the only thing he could find to say was, "That...that was perfect...Luffy."

He then felt himself collapsed under his own weight and he fell towards the ground. At least he would have if Luffy hadn't caught him and lower him slowly to the ground.

"To think I died twice in your arms," he laughed bitterly at the irony. Why must Luffy hurt like this again? "I'm...a terrible brother."

"Don't say that!" Luffy yelled as he cuddled me.

Oh Luffy, it's all too true. Even if he was just a shadow, he caused his brother so much pain.

"Why," he heard Silk asked, although his hearing was slowly fading. He was certain she said more, but he no longer remembered or cared.

He knew the answer even before he spoke. "I died for my baby brother once. Why wouldn't I do it again?"

The sob Luffy made broke his heart. His pain hurt more than dying.

"Indeed, Luffy is our brother. Our time in life has passed. It isn't fair for us to gain a second chance while Luffy is made to give up everything he has worked for," he heard Sabo said somberly.

Sabo, the real Sabo would be proud of you.

Even if he could no longer see his other brother, he could feel Sabo smile. "He's going to be the Pirate King, not some hopeless dreamer."

"And I know you'll achieve your dream, because you're my brother," he said. He knew it was the words of the real Ace, but it still hold true. Luffy will someday be the Pirate King and he couldn't stay in his way.

A few more words were said, but his mind began to fade. He knew his end was near, but there was one more thing that needed to be said. He didn't know how, but he knew the real Ace wanted him to say it.

"You remember that day, don't you Luffy. The day when we sealed our brotherhood," he whispered with the last of his strength. He felt Luffy nod. "I said that day that no matter what we do or where we are, no one will ever break our bond of brotherhood. Those words still hold true. Nothing can ever break our bond. Not even death. We are apart of you Luffy, just as you were apart of us in life."

He then realized at that moment what he was. He was Ace. He was the part that was left of Ace when he died. Somehow, Ace had left a piece of his soul within Luffy. Or perhaps, Luffy had placed a piece of Ace within himself.

In either case, he was far more than a mere shadow created by a Devil Fruit. Yes, that boy's powers created his body and manipulated his memories, but he was still Ace. He was still Luffy's big brother. Somehow, that was more than enough to make him happy as he felt the last as his second life slip a way.

From his blurry vision, however, he saw Sabo put his hand out. Without a word he put his hand on top of Sabo's. If he was real, perhaps this was a part of Sabo that continued to live as well within Luffy. It was strange how this Devil Fruit had brought them together.

He then felt Luffy's hand joined his and they were whole again. This was the way he wanted things. Now, he could rest without regret. His brother would be fine. He could always watch after him, after all.

He allowed his eyes to close and faded into the darkness. From there, he merged with Luffy's mind and heart. There he would remain, keeping his promise. His promise to always remained by Luffy's side until the day they were truly reunited on the other side.

Hopefully, that won't happen for many years to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That officially concludes Perchance to Dream. I hope the ending met all of your expectations given the heavy subject matter.
> 
> I wrote this story mostly because I felt, and still do to some extent, that Luffy and Ace's story never had a proper conclusion in the manga. My main issue is that such a life changing event happened to Luffy and his crew does not really know what happened. They were not there to share in his experience. It is also a bitter note because Luffy did so much to help his crew in their hour of need and they were not able to do the same for him. In some ways this story became an excuse for me to show the Strawhats some of what Luffy went through during their separation. I know that Oda will address most of this subject in time, especially regarding Akainu and Blackbeard, but I wanted to give my take on things.
> 
> This story was also inspired by manga cover 596. For those who don't know, that is the cover where adult Ace, Sabo, and Luffy are on the cover being chase by a gorilla. The cover page could be sum up as a big 'what if'. When I first saw that cover I wondered how would things be different if Sabo had never died and instead of becoming separate crews they became one pirate crew. I am not one to write AUs so I did not want to write a whole series about it, but I wanted to explore that idea, which is part of the reason this story was made. Although, I do wonder if Oda was trolling the fanbase with that cover page.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you like this little treat. Thanks again and have a bless day.


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